SE2050619A1

SE2050619A1 - Systems, methods and computer program products for providing and verifying purchase offers

Info

Publication number: SE2050619A1
Application number: SE2050619A
Authority: SE
Inventors: Patrik Lindered
Original assignee: H & M Hennes & Mauritz Ab
Priority date: 2020-05-29
Filing date: 2020-05-29
Publication date: 2021-11-30
Also published as: EP4158578A1; WO2021239948A1; US20230214871A1

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to systems, methods and computer program products for providing in-store product information and purchase offers. An exemplary control system, or backend system, is configured to receive event data from a consumer's mobile device that indicates the consumer's interest in purchasing products available at a store and provide product information and/or purchase offers based on obtained event data. In embodiments, an optically readable code is displayed on the customer's mobile device in response to an event identified by an application program running on the customer's mobile device, where the optically readable code is adapted to be used for validating or verifying that the customer is authorized to take advantage of a purchase offer. In other embodiments, the present invention relates to the acquisition of an image identifying a first product and, in response to event data representing the event of acquiring the image and/or a subsequent event identified by the application program, the consumer is provided with a purchase offer including at least a second product different from the first product associated with the acquired image.

Description

TITLE Systems, methods and computer program products for providing and verifying purchase offers TECHNICAL FIELD In various embodiments, the present invention is generally directed to systems, methods andcomputer program products for providing in-store product information and purchase offers. Anexemplary control system, or backend system, is configured to receive, from a consumer'smobile device, event data indicating the consumer's interest in purchasing products available ata store and then subsequently provide purchase offers based on previously obtained event data,and an optically readable code used for validating or verifying the purchase offer in the store. Inembodiments, an optically readable code is displayed on the customer's mobile device inresponse to an event identified by an application program running on the customer's mobiledevice, where the contents of the optically readable code provided to a customer is adapted tobe used for validating or verifying that the customer is authorized to take advantage of thepurchase offer. In embodiments, the present invention relates to the acquisition ofan imageidentifying a first product and, in response to the acquired image, by obtaining event datarepresenting the event of acquiring the image and/or a subsequent event identified by theapplication program, the consumer is provided with a purchase offer including at least a second product different from the first product identified by the acquired image.

BACKGROUND Advances in mobile technology have enhanced in-store shopping activities by allowingconsumers to purchase items in real-time. For example, consumers now have access to theapplication programs (APPs) on mobile devices such as cell phones, smart phones and personaldata assistants that facilitate the identification and purchase of items without physicalpresentation of the item to a point-of-sale terminal. So-called "scan and buy" APPs eliminate thefrustrating experience of waiting in a check-out line and can increase sales by eliminating when consumers remove items from their shopping cart prior to checkout.

Mobile devices such as mobile phones permit retailers to connect with their customers andbarcodes, such as QR codes, supply the interactive means to accomplish this. These barcodes caneasily direct a retail establishment's customers to their Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and other social networking accounts. For example, a QR code could take customers to a mobile e- commerce site or a product demo. Barcodes such as QR codes may be indispensable when aretailer has online campaigns, advertisements, or TV commercials. QR codes can also be used toencourage customers to purchase products by relaying valuable information and alerting themto upcoming sales, unique promotions, and offering them an interactive view of new products onthe way. Retailers can also utilize QR codes to capture important customer information. Forexample, retailers can include a simple sign-up feature on the QR destination page to encourage visitors to enter their email address for special deals.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems, client databases and methods use variousinformation technologies to learn a customer's preferences, offer products and special deals tothe customer according to those preferences, and to foster or reward customer loyalty. In orderto maintain a high level of customer loyalty, it is desirable for a retailer to enhance a customer's in-store experience by anticipating her preferences and offering customized services.

Merchants, especially those that derive their revenue from online sales, are keenly interested inspending significant marketing dollars analyzing data generated by these events to increasetheir conversion rates. Once in a physical store, however, such analysis techniques typicallydisappear. Consumers can pick up, view, analyze and even open a product, place it in theirbasket for a while, and the merchant has no information about the event. Such events mayprovide even more insights into the shopping habits and product preferences ofa consumer than online activities.

PROBLEMS WITH THE PRIOR ART Consumers are beginning to rely on web-based solutions as an alternative to traditional in-storeshopping. As a result, electronic commerce has expanded the focus of large retailers by offeringon-line purchasing as a method for providing a broader assortment of products and pricingoptions to consumers. Typically, this occurs outside of the retail establishment which in turn eliminates in-store merchandising and promotion opportunities.

Retailers are constantly exploring ways to communicate with their shoppers utilizing mobiletechnologies. Many applications focus on promotion messaging that encourages consumers toshop in their stores. Many mobile applications for shoppers are offered by third party serviceproviders. While the service may vary, they are typically offer based and utilize location services with the aid ofzip codes and global positioning systems (GPS). These applications target interest such as store locators, weekly circulars, digital coupons or offers, generic item pricing, and the like.

Current technology offers consumer search options and the ability to find items, locate wherethey are offered and at what price. However, these pricing applications offer retailers littlebenefit unless they are a low-price leader in the market. Therefore, there is a need for systemsand methods adapted to enhance the costumer's shopping experience by providing productinformation and purchase offers in real-time to the consumer while in-store and where theoffers are adapted to be personalized and relevant for the customer in being based on theconsumer's shown interest in a product and previous shopping behavior, and such that the consumer may easily purchase products in-store.

Moreover, customers are individuals who usually have personal preferences for purchasingdifferent products. The individuals often visit known similar stores to purchase their preferredproducts. Merchants desire to capture an insight into a future propensity of an event in relationto the individual and construct purchase offers accordingly. Based on this insight, the merchantscan drive personalized recommendations and provide purchase offers to individuals in real-timewhile the customer is in the store to thereby improve their sales revenue. Conventionally, thesepersonalized recommendations and offers may not be relevant, as the recommendations maycharacterize offers from merchants located in places distant from the individual. Thus, therelevance ofthese personalized recommendations and offers can be further improved by usingknowledge about the historical shopping behaviour of the individual as well as knowledge aboutpreviously recorded purchases by other customers of products the individual shows an interestor previously recorded purchases of products associated with the product the individual shows an interest.

SUMMARY What is needed is a system and methods for providing a customer with in-store purchase offersreﬂecting the customer's shown interest and shopping behaviour and presented to the customerwhile the customer is present in a store where the at least one product of the purchase offer are available.

What is further needed is a system and methods for validly and securely validating or verifying, in real-time and to a staff member at the store and/or the cashier system or computer system of the store, that a customer, or user of a mobile device, can take advantage of a purchase offer, e.g. a customized or personalized purchase offer, provided to the customer while in the store.

The system, methods and computer program products of the technology disclosed is adapted toprovide a customer with purchase offers in response to event data indicating the customer'sinterest in a product while the customer is present in a store in which products of the purchase offer are available.

In embodiments, the technology disclosed relates to a system, methods and computer programproducts for capturing and acting in response to a sequence ofevents or subsequently receivedevent data, e.g. automatically and in real-time, in order to display data representing a purchase offer on the screen of the customer's mobile device.

In embodiments, data for generating and/or displaying the purchase offer, or representing thepurchase offer, is provided by the control system to a predetermined group of mobile devicesincluding the mobile device in response to the control system receiving a barcode or image datafollowing the scanning of a barcode, or acquiring of an image, associated with the physicalproduct item in the store where the barcode or image is adapted for identifying, by the control system, a first product or product category to which the physical product item belongs.

In embodiments, the purchase offer may then be determined, retrieved and/orcreated/constructed by the control system in response to identifying the first product or firstproduct category and data for generating and/or displaying the purchase offer on the displays ofthe predetermined group ofmobile devices may be transmitted in response to determining,retrieving and / or creating/constructing the purchase offer. The purchase offer may then havebeen previously created / constructed at least partly based on event data received, by the controlsystem, from a plurality of mobile devices among the predetermined group of mobile devices including the mobile device.

In embodiments, the purchase offer is constructed prior to at least one ofsaid step ofreceivingimage or barcode or data representing said image or barcode associated with a physical firstproduct item being offered for sale by the store and receiving event data associated with the firstproduct or first product category. The purchase offer may then be at least partly based on atleast one ofthe historical shopping behavior of the user of the mobile device and event data received from other mobile devices.

In embodiments, the purchase offer is constructed by the control system in response to at leastone of the events of receiving said image or barcode or data representing said image or barcodeassociated with a physical first product item being offered for sale by the retail store andreceiving event data associated with said first product or first product category. The purchaseoffer may then also be at least partly based on at least one of obtained event data reﬂecting thehistorical shopping behavior ofthe user ofsaid mobile device and event data received from other mobile devices.

In embodiments, the control system may then be configured to dynamically create / construct orchange purchase offers based on the event data that the control system receives from mobiledevices and/or contents that the control system receives or retrieves from social mediaplatforms such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. In certain embodiments, the purchase offersmay be dynamically created / constructed and changed by the control system based on eventdata received from the plurality of mobile devices within a group of mobile devices, e.g. apredetermined group of mobile devices, and the plurality ofmobile devices in the group ofmobile devices are provided with the purchase offer in response to the control system receiving,from at least one of the mobile devices of the group, a scanned barcode or acquired image for identifying a first product or first product category.

In embodiments, the technology disclosed relates to a system, methods and computer programproducts for capturing and acting in response to a sequence ofevents or subsequently receivedevent data, e.g. automatically and in real-time, in order to display data for validating or verifying a purchase offer on the screen of the customer's mobile device.

In embodiments, the technology disclosed relates to a system, methods and computer programproducts for capturing and acting in response to a sequence ofevents or subsequently receivedevent data, e.g. automatically and in real-time, in order to display an optically readable code forvalidating or verifying on the screen ofthe customer's mobile device that the customer is authorized to take advantage of a purchase offer provided to the customer while in the store.

In aspects, the user ofa mobile device who shows up at the cahier's desk with physical productitems corresponding to the at least one product item ofa purchase offer provided to the user'smobile device is subsequently, and in response to further event data received from the samemobile device, provided with an optically readable code adapted for securely validating or verifying to a staffmember ofthe store and/or a cashier system or a computer system ofthe store, that the user of the mobile device is authorized to take advantage of the purchase offer, e.g. a customized or personalized purchase offer.

In embodiments, the control system provides the optically readable to a plurality of mobiledevices within a group ofmobile devices, e.g. a predetermined group of mobile devices, wherethe plurality of mobile devices in the group of mobile devices are provided with the opticallyreadable code, or data for generating and/or displaying the optically readable code, in responseto the control system receiving, from at least one of the mobile devices of the group, event dataindicating the acceptance, by the user of the mobile device, of a purchase offer previouslyprovided by the control system to the mobile device in response to receiving, from the mobiledevice, a scanned barcode or an image adapted for identifying, by the control system, a first product associated with the purchase offer.

In aspects, the technology disclosed relates to a method of receiving, by a control system orbackend system, event data from a mobile device and, in response to receiving the event data.transmitting, from the control system, an optically readable code or data adapted for displayingan optically readable code to be presented on the display of the mobile device, where theoptically readable code, when scanned, read or recognized, is adapted to validate or verify thatthe user of the mobile device is authorized to take advantage of a purchase offer. The purchaseoffer may then have been provided to the mobile device through the transmission of datarepresenting the purchase offer from the control system and in response to the acquiring orscanning of an image or barcode associated with a physical product item in the store where theverification by the acquiring or scanning is performed. The event data transmitted from themobile device to the control system may then have been transmitted by the mobile device inresponse to identifying, by the mobile device, at least one event indicating the acceptance, by the user of the mobile device, ofthe purchase offer provided to the mobile device.

In aspects, the technology disclosed relates to a control system, or backend system, configuredto receive event data from a mobile device and, in response to receiving the event data. transmitan optically readable code or data adapted for displaying an optically readable code to bepresented on the display of the mobile device, where the optically readable code, when scanned,read or recognized, is adapted to validate or verify that the user of the mobile device isauthorized to take advantage of a purchase offer. The purchase offer may then have beenprovided to the mobile device through the transmission of data representing the purchase offerfrom the control system and in response to the acquiring or scanning ofan image or barcodeassociated with a physical product item in the store where the verification by the acquiring or scanning is performed. The event data transmitted from the mobile device to the control system may then have been transmitted by the mobile device in response to identifying, by the mobile device, at least one event indicating the acceptance, by the user of the mobile device, of the purchase offer provided to the mobile device.

In embodiments, the technology disclosed relates to method for providing a user ofa mobile device with a purchase offer including at least one product available to customers in a store and while the user is present in the store, said method comprising the steps of: transmitting, from the mobile device to the control system, event datarepresenting the at least one event indicating the acceptance of said purchaseoffer; receiving, by the control system, said event data representing said at least oneevent indicating the acceptance ofsaid purchase offer; and transmitting, from the control system to the mobile device, data adapted to beused for generating and/or displaying an optically readable code representingsaid purchase offer or reﬂecting the items currently in the shopping basket whichincludes the product items ofsaid purchase offer, wherein said transmission ofsaid data is performed in response to and triggered by said control system receiving said event data.

In embodiments, the technology disclosed relates to method for providing a user ofa mobile device with a purchase offer including at least one product available to customers in a store and while the user is present in the store, said method comprising: acquiring or scanning, by an image acquisition component or scanner operativelyconnected to the mobile device, an image or barcode associated with a physicalproduct item being offered for sale by the store, wherein said physical productitem belongs to a first product or first product category; transmitting, by said mobile device, said image or barcode, or data representingsaid image or barcode, to a control system which is comprising, or is at least oneof operatively coupled to and communicatively connected to, a database;transmitting, from the control system to the mobile device, data representing apurchase offer; displaying, in a browser or an application program running on the mobile deviceand on the screen ofsaid mobile device, data representing said purchase offer,wherein said step of displaying is performed in response to said mobile device receiving said data representing said purchase offer; and identifying, by the application program running on the mobile device, the at leastone event indicating the acceptance, by the user of the mobile device, of saidpurchase offer transmitting, from the mobile device to the control system, event datarepresenting the at least one event indicating the acceptance of said purchaseoffer; receiving, by the control system, said event data representing said at least oneevent indicating the acceptance ofsaid purchase offer; and transmitting, from the control system to the mobile device, data adapted to beused for generating and/or displaying an optically readable code representingsaid purchase offer or reﬂecting the items currently in the shopping basket whichincludes the product items ofsaid purchase offer, wherein said transmission ofsaid data is performed in response to and triggered by said control systemreceiving said event data; and receiving, by the mobile device, data adapted to be used for generating and/ordisplaying an optically readable code representing said purchase offer; anddisplaying, by the mobile device, the optically readable code representing saidpurchase offer, wherein said optically readable code is adapted to validate orverify, when scanned, read or shown to a staff member in the store, that the user is authorized to take advantage of said purchase offer.

In embodiments, the technology disclosed relates to method for providing a user ofa mobiledevice with a purchase offer including at least one product available to customers in a store and while the user is present in the store, said method comprising: acquiring or scanning, by an image acquisition component or scanner operativelyconnected to the mobile device, an image or barcode associated with a physicalproduct item being offered for sale by the store, wherein said physical productitem belongs to a first product or first product category; transmitting, by said mobile device, said image or barcode, or data representingsaid image or barcode, to a control system which is comprising, or is at least oneof operatively coupled to and communicatively connected to, a database;transmitting, from the control system to the mobile device, data representing apurchase offer; displaying, in a browser or an application program running on the mobile device and on the screen ofsaid mobile device, data representing said purchase offer, wherein said step of displaying is performed in response to said mobile devicereceiving said data representing said purchase offer; ande. identifying, by the application program running on the mobile device, the at leastone event indicating the acceptance, by the user of the mobile device, of saidpurchase offer; andf displaying, by the mobile device, an optically readable code representing said purchase offer or reﬂecting the items currently in the shopping basket whichincludes the product items ofsaid purchase offer, wherein said display ofsaidoptically readable code is displayed in response to and/or triggered by saididentifying of the at least one event indicating the acceptance of said purchaseoffer, wherein said optically readable code is adapted to validate or verify, whenscanned, read or shown to a staff member in the store, that the user is authorized to take advantage of said purchase offer.

In certain aspects, the technology disclosed is directed to facilitating the provision ofpurchaseoffers in real-time, and more particularly to methods and a system for offering an enhancedshopping experience in a store based on event data reﬂecting the shopping behaviour ofthecustomer receiving the purchase offer as well as event data received from other customers, i.e.other customer's mobile devices, and which indicates the shopping behaviour ofthese other In other aspects, the technology disclosed is directed to the task ofvalidating or verifying that acustomer is authorized to take advantage of a purchase offer, and more particularly to methodand a system for capturing and acting on event data to provide secure verification of the customer's authorization to take advantage of the purchase offer.

In embodiments, the displayed data representing the purchase offer may then include thepurchase of both a first product which physical product item associated barcode was scanned orread in the store by the mobile device receiving the purchase offer and the purchase of anproduct item of at least one second product which associated barcode the mobile device was notscanned or read before receiving the purchase offer. After first receiving and then accepting thepurchase offer, the customer typically needs to fetch at least one physical item of the secondproduct and bring the at least one physical item of the first product and the at least one physical item ofthe second product to the cash register desk or and/or a self-checkout terminal, where the image data representing the purchase offer is shown or scanned/read by a device to validate or verify that the user ofthe mobile device is authorized to take advantage of the purchase offer.

In embodiments, the provided purchase offer, including at least one item ofthe first product,which associated barcode was scanned before receiving the purchase, and at least one item ofasecond product different from the first product, where the combined purchase offer is at leastpartly based on previously received event data, i.e. received before the customer entered thestore. The combined offer, including both the first product which physical product item'sassociated barcode label was scanned or read by the mobile device and the second product maythen be created/constructed at least partly based on identified and/or received events and/orevent data obtained before the customer entered the store, where the events and/ or event datawas identified by and/or received from at least one ofthe customer's own mobile device and themobile devices of other customers. The previously identified and/or received events and/orevent data may then be associated with previously performed purchases of items ofthe firstproduct and of the second product, e.g. combined or aggregated purchases including at least one item of the first product and at least one item of the second product.

In aspects, the system, methods adapted for validly and computer program products of thetechnology disclosed are adapted for securely validating or verifying, to the staff member at thestore and/or the cashier system of the store before payment, that a customer, or user ofa mobiledevice, can take advantage ofa purchase offer, e.g. a customized or personalized purchase offer,provided to the customer in response to identified events associated with the customer's mobile device and while the customer is present in the store.

In embodiments, the technology disclosed is directed to validating or verifying that a customer isauthorized to take advantage of a purchase offer by providing a scannable and / or readableverification code, and more particularly to method and a system for capturing and acting onevent data to provide secure verification of the customer's authorization to take advantage ofthe purchase offer by providing the scannable and/or readable verification code in response toevents identified by the application program running on the mobile device. In embodiments andafter receiving an optically readable code which contents at least partly represents the purchaseoffer, the customer typically needs to fetch the at least one physical product item ofthe purchaseoffer and bring the at least one physical item to the cash register desk or and/or a self-checkoutterminal. At the desk and/or terminal, the image data representing the purchase offer, e.g. theoptically readable code which contents represents the purchase offer, is displayed on the screen of the mobile device and is then shown to a staff member at the cash register desk or is scanned or read by a device. The scanning or reading may performed by using a device communicatively connected to the cashier system of the store, thereby validating or verifying that the user of the mobile device is authorized to take advantage of the purchase offer comprising the at least one physical product item brought to the cash register desk or and/or a self-checkout terminal.

In aspects, the technology disclosed is directed to a system and a method for providing a user of a mobile device with a purchase offer including at least one product available to customers in a store and while the user is present in the store, said method comprising: acquiring or scanning, by an image acquisition component or scanner operativelyconnected to the mobile device, an image or barcode associated with a physicalproduct item being offered for sale by the store, wherein said physical productitem belongs to a first product or first product category; transmitting, by said mobile device, said image or barcode, or data representingsaid image or barcode, to a control system which is comprising, or is at least oneof operatively coupled to and communicatively connected to, a database;transmitting, from the control system to the mobile device, data representing apurchase offer; displaying, in a browser or an application program running on the mobile deviceand on the screen ofsaid mobile device, data representing said purchase offer,wherein said step of displaying is performed in response to said mobile devicereceiving said data representing said purchase offer; and identifying, by the application program running on the mobile device, at least oneevent indicating the acceptance, by the user of the mobile device, of said purchase offer.

In embodiments, the technology disclosed is directed to a system configured to and a method which comprises the step of: displaying, by the application program running on said mobile device, anoptically readable code which content is representing said purchase offer or isreﬂecting the list of items currently in the shopping basket which includes the product items ofsaid purchase offer.

In embodiments, the purchase offer is including at least the purchase of an item ofsaid first product or first product category.

In embodiments, the purchase offer is including at least the purchase ofan item ofa second product or second product category different from said first product or first product category.

In embodiments, the technology disclosed is directed to a system configured to and a method which comprises the step of: transmitting, from said mobile device to said control system, event datarepresenting said at least one event indicating the acceptance ofthe purchaseoffer; receiving, by the control system, said event data representing said at least oneevent indicating the acceptance ofsaid purchase offer; and transmitting, from the control system to the mobile device, data adapted to beused for generating an optically readable code representing said purchase offeror reﬂecting the items currently in the shopping basket which includes theproduct items ofsaid purchase offer, wherein said transmission ofsaid data isperformed in response to and triggered by said control system receiving said In aspects, the technology disclosed is directed to a system and a method for providing a user of a mobile device with a purchase offer including at least one product available to customers in a store and while the user is present in the store, said method comprising: scanning, by a scanner operatively connected to the mobile device, a barcodeassociated with a physical product item being offered for sale by the store,wherein said physical product item belongs to a first product or first productcategory; transmitting, by said mobile device, said barcode, or data representing saidbarcode, to a control system which is comprising, or is at least one ofoperativelycoupled to and communicatively connected to, a database; transmitting, from the control system to the mobile device, data representing apurchase offer; displaying, in a browser or an application program running on the mobile deviceand on the screen ofsaid mobile device, data representing said purchase offer,wherein said step of displaying is performed in response to said mobile devicereceiving said data representing said purchase offer; and identifying, by the application program running on the mobile device, at least oneevent indicating the acceptance, by the user of the mobile device, of said purchase offer.

In embodiments, the technology disclosed is directed to a system configured to and a method which comprises the step of: a. displaying, by the application program running on said mobile device, anoptically readable code which content is representing said purchase offeror is reﬂecting the list of items currently in the shopping basket which includes the product items ofsaid purchase offer.

Embodiments of the technology disclosed are directed to a system, a backend/control system, anapplication program installed on a mobile device and methods for providing, by the backend/ control system, a purchase offer and then transmitting an optically readable/scannableverification code, by the backend/ control system, following the acceptance of a purchase offerby the user ofthe mobile device and in response to event data identified by the applicationprogram and which represents at least one occurred event and/or action performed by the user of the mobile device (customer) while the user/customer is present in the store.

In aspects, the technology disclosed relates to a control system for providing a user of a mobiledevice with purchase offers including products available to customers in a store and while theuser is present in the store, said control system is comprising or is at least one ofoperatively connected and communicatively coupled to a database and is configured to: a. receive an image or barcode, or data representing an image or barcodeassociated with a physical first product item being offered for sale by the store,from a mobile device; b. determine that said received image or barcode data belongs to a first product orfirst product category; c. identify a purchase offer associated with the first product or first productcategory; d. transmit, to said mobile device and in response to receiving said image orbarcode data, data representing said purchase offer; e. receive, from said mobile device, event data indicating that the user of the mobiledevice has accepted the purchase offer; and f transmit, from the control system to said mobile device, an optically readablecode representing said purchase offer or data adapted to be used for generating an optically readable code representing said purchase offer, wherein said optically readable code is adapted to validate or verify, when scanned or read,that the user of the mobile device is authorized to take advantage of saidpurchase offer and proceed to payment in accordance with the price and conditions ofsaid purchase offer.

In embodiments, the technology disclosed relates to a control system for providing a user ofa mobile device with purchase offers including products available to customers in a store and while the user is present in the store, said control system is configured to: receive event data from a mobile device; transmit, in response to receiving said event data, data representing a purchaseoffer to the same mobile device; receive, from the same mobile device, event data indicating that the user of themobile device has accepted the purchase offer; and transmit, from the control system to the same mobile device, data adapted to beused for generating an optically readable code representing said purchase offer,wherein said optically readable code, when scanned or read, is adapted tovalidate or verify that the user of the mobile device is authorized to takeadvantage ofsaid purchase offer and may proceed to payment in accordancewith the price and conditions of said purchase offer, and wherein saidtransmission ofsaid data is performed in response to and triggered by saidcontrol system receiving said event data indicating that the user of the mobile device has accepted the purchase offer.

In embodiments, the purchase offer transmitted in step b above includes at least the purchase of an item of a second product or second product category different from said first product or first product category.

In embodiments, the technology disclosed relates to a method comprising the steps of: transmitting, from said mobile device to said control system, event datarepresenting said at least one event indicating the acceptance ofsaid purchaseoffer; receiving, by the control system, said event data representing said at least one event indicating the acceptance ofsaid purchase offer; c. transmitting, from the control system to the mobile device, data adapted to beused for generating an optically readable code representing said purchase offeror reﬂecting the items currently in the shopping basket which includes theproduct items ofsaid purchase offer, wherein said transmission ofsaid data isperformed in response to and triggered by said control system receiving saidevent data representing said at least one event indicating the acceptance of saidpurchase offer; d. generating, by the application program running on said mobile device, anoptically readable code corresponding to said data adapted to be used forgenerating an optically readable code representing said purchase offer orreﬂecting the items currently in the shopping basket which includes the productitems ofsaid purchase offer; and e. displaying, by the application program running on said mobile device and on thescreen of said mobile device, said optically readable code representing saidpurchase offer, wherein said optically readable code, when scanned or read, isadapted to validate or verify that the user of the mobile device is authorized totake advantage of said purchase offer and may proceed to payment in accordance with the price and conditions of said purchase offer.

In certain embodiments, the technology disclosed relates to a control system for providing auser of a mobile device with purchase offers including products available to customers in a retailstore and while the user is present in the retail store, said control system is comprising or is atleast one of operatively connected and communicatively coupled to a database and is configured to: a. receiving a scanned barcode, or data representing a barcode, from a mobiledevice; b. determining that said received barcode data is associated with a physical firstproduct item being offered for sale by the retail store and that said first productitem belongs to a first product or first product category; c. identifying a purchase offer associated with the first product or first productcategory; d. transmitting, in response to receiving said barcode data, data representing apurchase offer to the same mobile device, where said purchase offer include atleast the purchase of an item ofa second product or second product category different from said first product or first product category; receiving, from the same mobile device, event data indicating that the user of themobile device has accepted the purchase offer; and transmitting, from the control system to the same mobile device, data adapted tobe used for generating an optically readable code representing said purchaseoffer, wherein said optically readable code, when scanned or read, is adapted tovalidate or verify that the user of the mobile device is authorized to takeadvantage of said purchase offer and proceed to payment in accordance with theprice and conditions ofsaid purchase offer, and wherein said transmission ofsaid data is performed in response to and triggered by said control systemreceiving said event data indicating that the user of the mobile device has accepted the purchase offer.

In certain embodiments of the methods, systems and computer program products of the technology disclosed, the scanning or reading of the displayed optically readable code may automatically initiate a payment transaction for purchasing the at least one product item according to the price and conditions of the purchase offer provided to the customer's mobile device.

In embodiments, the event data received by the control system represents an event including at least one of the events of: adding, to the shopping basket of the application program running on the mobiledevice, at least one item of a second product or second product category differentfrom said first product or first product category; adding, to the shopping basket of the application program running on the mobiledevice, product items in accordance with said purchase offer; checking out, in the application program, at least one item ofsaid second productor second product category for payment; checking out, in the application program, product items in accordance with saidpurchase offer; pressing a button, link, area or object in the application program to therebyrequest verification ofthe authorized use ofsaid purchase offer; and activating an input means of the mobile device to thereby request verification of the authorized use ofsaid purchase offer.

In embodiments, said purchase offer transmitted by the control system include at least the purchase ofan item of a second product or second product category different from said first product or first product category.

In embodiments, the technology disclosed relates to control system for providing a user ofa mobile device with purchase offers including products available to customers in a store and while the user is present in the store, said control system is configured to: receive a scanned barcode, or data representing a barcode, from a mobile device;determine that said received barcode data is associated with a physical firstproduct item being offered for sale by the retail store and that said first productitem belongs to a first product or first product category; transmit, in response to receiving said barcode data, data representing apurchase offer to the same mobile device, where said purchase offer include atleast the purchase of an item ofa second product or second product categorydifferent from said first product or first product category; receive, from the same mobile device, event data indicating that the user of themobile device has accepted the purchase offer; and transmit, from the control system to the same mobile device, data adapted to beused for generating an optically readable code representing said purchase offer,wherein said optically readable code, when scanned or read, is adapted tovalidate or verify that the user of the mobile device is authorized to takeadvantage of said purchase offer and proceed to payment in accordance with theprice and conditions ofsaid purchase offer, and wherein said transmission ofsaid data is performed in response to and triggered by said control systemreceiving said event data indicating that the user of the mobile device has accepted the purchase offer; In aspects, the technology disclosed relates to an application program (APP) installed on a mobile device, said application program is configured to: receive data representing a purchase offer; display, in the application and on the screen of the mobile device, datarepresenting said purchase offer; identify the event of accepting, by the user of the mobile device, said purchase offer; and d. display an optically readable code adapted for validating or verifying that the user of the mobile device is authorized to take advantage ofsaid purchase offer.

In embodiments, the application program is further configured to: receive, from a control system, data adapted for at least one of generating anddisplaying said optically readable code; anddisplay, in the application and on the screen of the mobile device, said optically readable code; In certain embodiments, the application program is further configured to identify the at least one event indicating the acceptance of the purchase offer by the user by identifying at least one ofthe events of: adding, to the shopping basket of the application program running on the mobiledevice, at least one item of a second product or second product category differentfrom said first product or first product category; adding, to the shopping basket of the application program running on the mobiledevice, product items in accordance with said purchase offer; checking out, in the application program, at least one item ofsaid second productor second product category for payment; checking out, in the application program, product items in accordance with saidpurchase offer; pressing a button, link, area or object in the application program to therebyrequest verification of the authorized use of said purchase offer; and activating an input means of the mobile device to thereby request verification of the authorized use ofsaid purchase offer.

In embodiments, the technology disclosed relates to a method for providing a user ofa mobile device with purchase offers including products available to customers in a store and while the user is present in the retail store, said method comprising: acquiring, by an image acquisition component of the mobile device, an image of,or associated with, a physical product item in a store, wherein said physicalproduct item belongs to a first product or first product category; transmitting, by the mobile device, said image or data representing said image,wherein said image or data representing said image is adapted for identifying the receiving, by the mobile device, data representing a purchase offer; d. displaying, in a browser or an application program running on the mobile deviceand on the screen ofsaid mobile device, data representing said purchase offer,wherein said step of displaying is performed in response to said mobile devicereceiving said data representing said purchase offer; e. identifying, by the application program running on the mobile device, the at leastone event indicating the acceptance, by the user of the mobile device, of saidpurchase offer; and f displaying, by the application program running on the mobile device, an opticallyreadable code adapted for validating or verifying that the user of the mobile device is authorized to take advantage of said purchase offer.

In embodiments, the purchase offer ofthe above method may include at least the purchase of anitem of a second product or second product category different from said first product or first product category.

In different embodiments, the image acquisition component may be any device componentcapable of capturing an image of information identifying a product. Such information mayinclude, for example, an image ofa bar code (e.g., universal product code (UPC), a matrixbarcode (QR code), three-dimensional barcode, or European Article Number (EAN)) on a label affixed to product, an image of product itself, an image of all or a portion ofthe packaging of product, or any other image that includes information identifying the product.

In embodiments, the technology disclosed relates to an application program running on a mobiledevice configured to: a. acquiring, by an image acquisition component of the mobile device, an image of,or associated with, a physical product item in a store, wherein said physicalproduct item belongs to a first product or first product category; b. transmitting, by the mobile device, said image or data representing said image,wherein said image or data representing said image is adapted for identifying the c. receiving, by the mobile device, data representing a purchase offer including atleast the purchase of an item ofa second product or second product categorydifferent from said first product or first product category; d. displaying, in a browser or an application program running on the mobile deviceand on the screen ofsaid mobile device, data representing said purchase offer,wherein said step of displaying is performed in response to said mobile device receiving said data representing said purchase offer; e. identifying, by the application program running on the mobile device, the at leastone event indicating the acceptance, by the user of the mobile device, of saidpurchase offer; and f displaying, by the application program running on the mobile device, an opticallyreadable code adapted for validating or verifying that the user of the mobile device is authorized to take advantage of said purchase offer.

In embodiments, the technology disclosed relates to an application program for running on amobile device configured to:a. display data representing said purchase offer, wherein said step ofdisplaying isperformed in response to receiving data representing said purchase offer;b. identify the at least one event indicating the acceptance, by the user ofthe mobiledevice, ofsaid purchase offer; andc. display an optically readable code adapted for validating or verifying that the user of the mobile device is authorized to take advantage ofsaid purchase offer.

Embodiments of the technology disclosed are directed to a system, a backend/control system, anapplication program installed on a mobile device and methods for providing an opticallyreadable code in real-time to a customer's mobile device where the optically readable code isadapted to be used for validating or verifying, in real-time while the customer (user ofthemobile device) is present in the store, that the customer can, or is authorized to, take advantageofthe purchase offer. In embodiments, the purchase offer may be a customized and/orpersonalized purchase offer created/constructed by the backend/control system at least partlybased on event data received by the backend/control system from the mobile device of thecustomer and/or at least partly based on received from other mobile devices. The customizedand/or personalized purchase offer may then be at least partly based on received event datareﬂecting the shopping behavior of the user of the user of the mobile device and/or reﬂectingthe shopping behavior ofusers of other mobile devices/customers and may include certain dealsand/or a customer-specified price, e.g. a customer-specified price for an aggregated purchaseoffer including both the first product and the second product and which may be offered only to the user of the mobile device.

In embodiments, the optically readable code, e.g. a QR-code, for validating or verifying that acustomer can take advantage ofa certain purchase offer may be adapted so that, when scannedby a scanner available in the store or read by camera of a device available in the store, the optically readable code represents the purchase offer, e.g. items, price and/or conditions of the purchase offer, and/or reﬂects/represents/corresponds to the product items ofthe currentelectronic/virtual shopping basket of the application program running on the mobile device,where the current electronic/virtual shopping basket may also include, in addition to theproduct items of the purchase offer, other product items added to the shopping basket by theuser of the mobile device. Following the scanning or reading ofthe optically readable in theretail store to validate or verify that the user of the mobile device/customer is authorized to takeadvantage of the purchase offer, the customer may proceed to payment by conducting apurchase transaction in the store including at least the purchase of the product items according to the price, terms and/or conditions of the purchase offer.

In aspects, the technology disclosed relate to a method for providing a user ofa mobile devicewith purchase offers including products available to customers in a retail store and while theuser is present in the retail store, the method comprising: a. acquiring, by an image acquisition component operatively connected to themobile device, an image associated with a physical first product item beingoffered for sale by the retail store, wherein said image is adapted to be used foridentifying that the first product item belongs to a first product or first productcategory; b. transmitting, by said mobile device, said image, or data representing said image,to a control system which is comprising or is at least one ofoperativelyconnected and communicatively coupled to a database; c. transmitting, from the control system to the mobile device, data representing apurchase offer including at least the purchase of an item ofa second product orsecond product category different from said first product or first productcategory; d. displaying, in a browser or an application program running on the mobile deviceand on the screen ofsaid mobile device, data representing said purchase offer,wherein said step of displaying is performed in response to said mobile devicereceiving said data representing said purchase offer; e. identifying, by the application program running on the mobile device, the at leastone event indicating the acceptance, by the user of the mobile device, of saidpurchase offer; f transmitting, from said mobile device to said control system, event datarepresenting said at least one event indicating the acceptance ofsaid purchase offer.

According to embodiments, the method according to the technology disclosed further comprises the following steps prior to transmitting said data representing said purchase offer: transmitting, from said control system to said mobile device, product and/ orprice information for said first product or first product category, wherein saidproduct and/or price information for said first product is transmitted inresponse to receiving said image or data representing said image; displaying said product and/or price information for said first product or firstproduct category in the application identifying, by the application program running on the mobile device, an eventassociated with said first product or first product category, wherein said eventcomprises identifying at least one of the actions of adding at least one item of thefirst product or first product category to the shopping basket ofthe applicationprogram and checking out at least one item of the first product or first productcategory for payment; and transmitting, from the mobile device and in response to identifying said eventassociated with said first product or first product category, event datarepresenting said event associated with said first product or first productcategory, wherein said step oftransmitting data representing a purchase offer isperformed in response to said control system receiving said event associated with said first product or first product category.

According to embodiments, the method according to the technology disclosed further comprises the following step prior to transmitting said data representing said purchase offer: a. obtaining event data representing identified events associated with atleast one ofsaid first and said second product or product category,wherein said events are identified by other mobile devices than saidmobile device and the event data transmitted in response to theoccurrence of the events is received from other mobile devices than saidmobile device, and wherein said events include at least one of the eventsof acquiring an image of a physical product item, the addition of an itemto a shopping basket of the application program, checking out (in theapplication program) an item for payment and the confirmed purchase of a product item.

According to embodiments, the method according to the technology disclosed further comprises the following step prior to transmitting said data representing said purchase offer: 22 a. obtaining event data representing identified events, wherein said eventsare identified by and received from said same mobile device andindicates a certain shopping behavior ofthe user ofthe mobile device,and wherein said events include at least one of the events ofacquiring animage ofa physical product item, the addition of an item to a shoppingbasket of the application program, checking out (in the application program) an item for payment and the purchase of a product item.

According to embodiments, the method according to the technology disclosed further comprisescreating/constructing the purchase offer at least partly based on previously obtained event data,i.e. event data obtained before the customer enters the store and scan a barcode label associated with, or identifying, a physical product item.

In certain embodiments, the purchase offer is created/constructed prior to at least one ofsaidstep of receiving said acquired image or data representing said acquired image associated with aphysical first product item being offered for sale by the retail store and receiving event dataassociated with said first product or first product category, and wherein said purchase offer is atleast partly based on at least one of event data reﬂecting the historical shopping behavior of the user of the mobile device and event data received from other mobile devices.

In certain embodiments, the purchase offer is created/constructed by the control system inresponse to at least one of the events of receiving said acquired image or data representing saidacquired image associated with a physical first product item being offered for sale by the retailstore and receiving event data associated with said first product or first product category, andwherein said purchase offer is at least partly based on at least one of the historical shopping behavior of the user of the mobile device and event data received from other mobile devices.

In aspects, the technology disclosed relates to a control system for providing a user of a mobiledevice with purchase offers including products available to customers in a retail store and whilethe user is present in the retail store, said control system is comprising or is at least one of operatively connected and communicatively coupled to a database and is configured to: a. receiving an image, or data representing an image, from a mobile device;b. determining that said received image data is associated with a physicalfirst product item being offered for sale by the retail store and that said first product item belongs to a first product or first product category; 23 c. transmitting, in response to receiving said image data, data representinga purchase offer to the same mobile device, where said purchase offerinclude at least the purchase of an item ofa second product or secondproduct category different from said first product or first productcategory; d. receiving, from the same mobile device, event data indicating that theuser of the mobile device has accepted the purchase offer; and e. transmitting, from the control system to the same mobile device, dataadapted to be used for generating an optically readable coderepresenting said purchase offer, wherein said optically readable code,when scanned or read, is adapted to validate or verify that the user ofthemobile device is authorized to take advantage of said purchase offer andproceed to payment in accordance with the price and conditions ofsaidpurchase offer, and wherein said transmission of said data is performedin response to and triggered by said control system receiving said eventdata indicating that the user of the mobile device has accepted the purchase offer; In aspects, the technology disclosed relate to a method for providing a user ofa mobile device with purchase offers including products available to customers in a retail store and while the user is present in the retail store, the method comprising: scanning, by a scanner operatively connected to the mobile device, a barcodeassociated with a physical first product item being offered for sale by the retailstore, wherein said first product item belongs to a first product or first productcategory; transmitting, by said mobile device, said barcode, or data representing saidbarcode, to a control system which is comprising or is at least one ofoperativelyconnected and communicatively coupled to a database; transmitting, from the control system to the mobile device, data representing apurchase offer including at least the purchase of an item ofa second product orsecond product category different from said first product or first productcategory; displaying, in a browser or an application program running on the mobile deviceand on the screen ofsaid mobile device, data representing said purchase offer,wherein said step of displaying is performed in response to said mobile device receiving said data representing said purchase offer; 24 identifying, by the application program running on the mobile device, the at leastone event indicating the acceptance, by the user of the mobile device, of saidpurchase offer; transmitting, from said mobile device to said control system, event datarepresenting said at least one event indicating the acceptance ofsaid purchase offer.

According to embodiments, the method further comprising the steps of: transmitting, from the control system to the mobile device, data adapted to beused for generating an optically readable code representing said purchase offer,wherein said transmission ofsaid data is performed in response to and triggeredby said control system receiving said event data; generating, by the application program running on said mobile device, anoptically readable code corresponding to said data adapted to be used forgenerating an optically readable code representing said purchase offer; anddisplaying, in the application program running on said mobile device and on thescreen of said mobile device, said optically readable code representing saidpurchase offer, wherein said optically readable code, when scanned or read, isadapted to validate or verify that the user of the mobile device is authorized totake advantage of said purchase offer and proceed to payment in accordance with the price and conditions of said purchase offer.

According to embodiments, the method according to the technology disclosed further comprises the step of: scanning, by a scanner operatively coupled to the cashier system of the retailstore, said optically readable code, thereby validating or verifying that the user ofthe mobile device is authorized to take advantage of said purchase offer and proceed to payment.

According to embodiments, the method according to the technology disclosed further comprises: conducting a payment transaction for purchasing at least one item of said secondproduct or second product category and/or in accordance with the price and/orconditions ofsaid purchase offer, wherein said payment transaction is conducted following said scanning of said optically readable code is validating or verifying that the user of the mobile device is authorized to take advantage of said purchase offer.

According to embodiments, the method according to the technology disclosed further comprises the following steps prior to transmitting said data representing said purchase offer: transmitting, from said control system to said mobile device, product and/ orprice information for said first product or first product category, wherein saidproduct and/or price information for said first product is transmitted inresponse to receiving said barcode or data representing said barcode;displaying said product and/or price information for said first product or firstproduct category in the application identifying, by the application program running on the mobile device, an eventassociated with said first product or first product category, wherein said eventcomprises identifying at least one of the actions of adding at least one item of thefirst product or first product category to the shopping basket ofthe applicationprogram and checking out at least one item of the first product or first productcategory for payment; and transmitting, from the mobile device and in response to identifying said eventassociated with said first product or first product category, event datarepresenting said event associated with said first product or first productcategory, wherein said step oftransmitting data representing a purchase offer isperformed in response to said control system receiving said event associated with said first product or first product category.

According to embodiments, the method step ofidentifying said at least one event indicating the acceptance ofsaid purchase offer comprises identifying, by the application program, at least one of the events/actions of: adding, to the shopping basket of the application program running on the mobiledevice, at least one item of the second product or second product categoryadding to the shopping basket of the application program running on the mobiledevice, product items in accordance with said purchase offer; checking out, in the application program, at least one item ofsaid second productor second product category for payment; and checking out, in the application program, product items in accordance with said purchase offer and e. pressing a button, link, area or object in the application program, therebyrequesting verification of the user's authorization to take advantage of said purchase offer According to embodiments, the method according to the technology disclosed further comprisesthe following step prior to transmitting said data representing said purchase offer: a. obtaining event data representing identified events associated with atleast one ofsaid first and said second product or product category,wherein said events are identified by other mobile devices than saidmobile device and the event data transmitted in response to theoccurrence of the events is received from other mobile devices than saidmobile device, and wherein said events include at least one of the eventsof scanning a barcode, the addition of an item to a shopping basket oftheapplication program, checking out (in the application program) an item for payment and the confirmed purchase of a product item.

According to embodiments, the method according to the technology disclosed further comprisesthe following step prior to transmitting said data representing said purchase offer: a. obtaining event data representing identified events, wherein said eventsare identified by and received from said same mobile device andindicates a certain shopping behavior ofthe user ofthe mobile device,and wherein said events include at least one of the events ofscanning abarcode, the addition of an item to a shopping basket of the applicationprogram, checking out (in the application program) an item for payment and the purchase ofa product item.

According to embodiments, the method according to the technology disclosed further comprises creating/constructing the purchase offer at least partly based on the obtained event data.

In certain embodiments, the purchase offer is created/constructed prior to at least one ofsaidstep of receiving said barcode or data representing said barcode associated with a physical firstproduct item being offered for sale by the retail store and receiving event data associated withsaid first product or first product category, and wherein said purchase offer is at least partlybased on at least one of the historical shopping behavior of the user ofthe mobile device and event data received from other mobile devices. 27 In certain embodiments, the purchase offer is created/constructed by the control system inresponse to at least one of the events of receiving said barcode or data representing saidbarcode associated with a physical first product item being offered for sale by the retail storeand receiving event data associated with said first product or first product category, andwherein said purchase offer is at least partly based on at least one of the historical shopping behavior of the user of the mobile device and event data received from other mobile devices.

In aspects, the technology disclosed relates to a control system for providing a user of a mobiledevice with purchase offers including products available to customers in a retail store and whilethe user is present in the retail store, said control system is comprising or is at least one of operatively connected and communicatively coupled to a database and is configured to: a. receiving a scanned barcode, or data representing a barcode, from amobile device; b. determining that said received barcode data is associated with a physicalfirst product item being offered for sale by the retail store and that saidfirst product item belongs to a first product or first product category; c. transmitting, in response to receiving said barcode data, datarepresenting a purchase offer to the same mobile device, where saidpurchase offer include at least the purchase of an item ofa secondproduct or second product category different from said first product orfirst product category; d. receiving, from the same mobile device, event data indicating that theuser of the mobile device has accepted the purchase offer; and e. transmitting, from the control system to the same mobile device, dataadapted to be used for generating an optically readable coderepresenting said purchase offer, wherein said optically readable code,when scanned or read, is adapted to validate or verify that the user ofthemobile device is authorized to take advantage of said purchase offer andproceed to payment in accordance with the price and conditions ofsaidpurchase offer, and wherein said transmission of said data is performedin response to and triggered by said control system receiving said eventdata indicating that the user of the mobile device has accepted the purchase offer; 28 In embodiments, the control system is further configured to perform said step oftransmittingdata representing a purchase offer to the mobile device in response to receiving said barcode data.

In embodiments, the control system is further configured to perform said step oftransmittingdata representing a purchase offer to the mobile device in response to receiving event data fromthe mobile device, and where the event data is representing at least one of the actions of the userof the mobile device of adding at least one item of the first product or first product category tothe shopping basket of the application program and checking out at least one item of the first product or first product category for payment.

In embodiments, the control system is further configured to perform the following step prior totransmitting said data representing said purchase offer: a. transmitting, from said control system to said mobile device, productand / or price information for said first product or first product category,wherein said product and/or price information for said first product istransmitted in response to receiving said barcode or data representing said barcode.

In embodiments, the control system is further configured to perform the following step prior totransmitting said data representing said purchase offer: a. obtaining event data representing identified events, wherein said eventsare identified by and received from said same mobile device andindicates a certain shopping behavior ofthe user ofthe mobile device,and wherein said events include at least one of the events ofscanning abarcode, the addition of an item to a shopping basket of the applicationprogram, checking out (in the application program) an item for payment and the purchase ofa product item.

In embodiments, the control system is further configured to perform the following step prior totransmitting said data representing said purchase offer: a. obtaining event data representing identified events, wherein said eventsare identified by and received from said same mobile device andindicates a certain shopping behavior ofthe user ofthe mobile device,and wherein said events include at least one of the events ofscanning a barcode, the addition of an item to a shopping basket of the application 29 program, checking out (in the application program) an item for payment and the purchase of a product item.

In embodiments, the control system is further configured to perform the following step prior totransmitting said data representing said purchase offer:a. creating/constructing said purchase offer at least partly based on said obtained event data.

In embodiments, the technology disclosed relates to a backend system, a mobile device and amethod comprising: receiving, at the backend system comprising at least one of a client database andone or more servers connected to a mobile device of an individual via a communication network,event data representing identified events recorded in real-time by the mobile device; creating/constructing, by the backend system and based on previously receivedevent data and transaction history ofthe mobile device ofthe individual and mobile devices ofother customers, a purchase offer; and transmitting, by the backend system, the created / constructed purchase offer fromthe backend system to the mobile device, the transmitted purchase offer being sent by the backend system to the mobile device that displays the offer in real-time.

In embodiments, the technology disclosed relates to a backend system, a mobile device and amethod comprising: receiving, at the backend system comprising one or more servers connected to amobile device of an individual via a communication network, event data from the mobile deviceand other mobile devices, where the received event data is representing identified eventsrecorded in real-time by the mobile device; creating/constructing, by the backend system and based on the received eventdata and transaction history of the individual and other customers, a purchase offer; receiving, at the backend system comprising at least one of a client database andone or more servers connected to a mobile device of an individual via a communication network,event data representing identified events recorded in real-time by the mobile device; and transmitting, by the backend system, the created / constructed purchase offer fromthe backend system to the mobile device, the transmitted purchase offer being sent by the backend system to the mobile device that displays the offer in real-time.

In embodiments, the technology disclosed relate to a system and methods for providing in-storeverification of purchase offers, the apparatus comprising: a memory; a computer processing device; and a module stored in the memory, executable by the computer processing device,and configured to: receive a request from a consumer, wherein the request indicates the consumer'sinterest in validating or verifying a purchase offer receive by the customer while in-store; determine the purchase offer based at least in part on the verification request,wherein determining the purchase offer comprises identifying, in a database, an opticallyreadable code, or data for generating an optically readable code, representing the purchase offerin the request; transmit, to the customer's mobile device, the optically readable code, or data forgenerating the optically readable code in response to the request, wherein the optically readablecode is adapted to validate or verify that the customer is authorized to take advantage of thepurchase offer; and display the optically readable code on the screen of the customer's mobile device.

In certain embodiments, the technology disclosed relates to a backend system configured to,following a first event of scanning a barcode associated with a first product and in response to asecond event identified by a mobile device, transmit an optically readable code, where theoptically readable code is indicating to reader (staff member) or a system of the store that theuser of the mobile device is authorized to take advantage ofan offer to purchase at least oneitem of the first product and at least one item of a second product different from the first product.

In certain embodiments, the technology disclosed relates to a backend system, e.g. comprising aclient database, a data formatting unit and/ or microservice architecture with applicationprogramming interfaces (APIs), configured to transmit data defining and representing an offerfor sale, wherein said transmission ofsaid offer for sale is preceded by said backend systemreceiving a barcode or first event data representing the event of scanning, by a mobile device, abarcode associated with a first product or product category, and wherein said offer for saleincludes said first product or product category and, in addition, includes a second product orproduct category (for which no barcode associated with it typically was scanned by said mobiledevice prior to creating/constructing said offer for sale), and where said offer for sale is transmitted, from said backend system to said mobile device which scanned the barcode 31 associated with said first product or product category, (automatically) in response to saidbackend system receiving second event data from said mobile device, and where said secondevent data is representing at least one of the occurred events of adding said offer for sale or saidsecond product or product category to the electronic shopping basket of a mobile applicationprogram running on said mobile device, adding said second product or product category to saidelectronic shopping basket, and the activation of a check-out functionality, e.g. pressing a check-out button, in the mobile application program running on said mobile device, therebyproceeding to payment in accordance with said offer for sale and/or proceeding to payment ofatleast one item of said first product or product category and at least one item ofsaid secondproduct or product category. In embodiments, the above-mentioned offer for sale iscreated/constructed by the backend system based on at least one of obtained first, second andthird event data associated with said first and second product which were previously receivedby said backend system from other mobile devices /customer and obtained first, second andthird event data previously received from said mobile device, where said third event data istransmitted to and received by said backend system following a confirmed payment transaction of a product or product category.

An electronic shopping cart is a software typically used in eCommerce to assist customers tomake purchases online. Upon checkout, the software calculates the total of the order, includingshipping and handling, taxes and other parameters the owner of the web site has previously set.The technology disclosed relates to an electronic shopping cart and basket ofa mobileapplication program running on a mobile device which may be used for receiving productinformation and taking advantage of offers for sale from a backend system while the user of themobile device, i.e. the customer, is physically present in the store where the paymenttransactions for buying physical product items available in the store and which are related to orassociated with the product information and offers for sale received in real-time from the backend system.

According to certain aspects of the technology disclosed, an electronic commerce tool, i.e.software or service, is the user-interface for the customer to use his mobile device to takeadvantage ofoffers from a backend system following the scanning of barcode in a retail storeand while the customer is physically present in the store. In embodiments, the technologydisclosed allows the customer, i.e. the user ofa mobile device, which are physically present inthe store to, in real-time, receive and take advantage of offers for sale in response to scanningbarcodes in the store and then place items in accordance with said received offer in an electronic shopping basket of a mobile application program running on the mobile device. The cart of the 32 mobile application program may be configured to remember these items added to the electronic shopping basket for a predetermined length oftime, e.g. a timer may be used.

In embodiments, the technology disclosed relates to an in-store solution where event data isobtained based on consumer interactions with products at the retail location. Using a mobiledevice, an image of a product item belonging to a first product is acquired that identifies saidfirst product being offered for sale by a retail store. The image, or data representing the acquiredimage, is transmitted to a backend system such as a purchase server, which, in return sendsproduct information for the first product back to the mobile device, where it is displayed in amobile application running on the mobile device. A first event representing a decision by theconsumer to move forward with a purchase of the first product is identified and first eventinformation about the decision to move forward is transmitted from the mobile device to thebackend system. The first event information is transmitted to the backend system, which, inreturn sends information representing an aggregate purchase offer, including the purchase ofafirst item of said first product and at least one of at least one additional item of the first productand at least one item of a second product different from the first product, back to the mobile device, where said aggregate purchase offer is displayed in the mobile application.

According to embodiments of the present invention, a second event representing a decision bythe consumer to accept said aggregate purchase offer is identified and second event informationabout the decision to accept said aggregate purchase offer is transmitted from the mobile deviceto the backend system. The second event information is transmitted to the backend system,which, in return automatically sends an optically readable code, e.g. a QR-code, back to themobile device, where said optically readable code is displayed in the mobile application running on the mobile device.

In embodiments, said optically readable code displayed in the mobile application ofthe mobiledevice is configured to be scanned by at least one optical scanner at the retail location to therebyconfirm the authorization ofsaid aggregate purchase offer including said first item ofsaid firstproduct, of which an image initially was acquired by the mobile device, and at least one of atleast one additional item of the first product and at least one item of a second product differentfrom said first product. In different embodiments, the at least one optical scanner may be at leastone of operatively coupled to at least one of the cashier machines of a retail store, at least one ofthe mobile devices operated by the staff at a retail store and a self-service check-out station at aretail store. According to embodiments and in operation, the mobile device displays an optically readable code (e g., a QR code or other barcode). As noted above, this optically readable code 33 may correspond (e g., uniquely) to aggregate purchase offer. Furthermore and according toembodiments of the technology disclosed, the optically readable code may be automaticallygenerated and then displayed on the screen of the mobile device following the at least oneevent/action of the user ofthe mobile device indicating the acceptance by the user of theaggregate purchase offer and in response to the backend system receiving the second eventinformation from the same mobile device that first scanned the image, e.g. barcode, identifying said first product being offered for sale by the retail store.

According to embodiments and in operation, the optical scanner at the retail store scans orotherwise reads the optically readable code (e g., the QR code) being displayed by the mobileapplication/screen of the mobile device. According to various example embodiments, operationmay be performed using a camera ofthe optical scanner and may be performed in response to the executing of an application program in operation.

In embodiments, the technology disclosed relates to a method in a system including a backendsystem and a retail store with product items and at least one mobile device comprising a mobileapplication program running on said mobile device, comprising: a. scanning, by a mobile device, a barcode associated with a product item ofa firstproduct or product category; b. transmitting, from said mobile device and in response to said first event ofscanning said barcode, at least one of said barcode and data representing saidscanning of said barcode, c. transmitting, from the backend system and in response to said backend systemreceiving said at least one ofsaid barcode and data representing said scanning ofsaid barcode from said mobile device, product information related to said firstproduct or product category; d. receiving, at the mobile device, said product information related to said firstproduct or product category; e. presenting, in the mobile application program and on the screen ofsaid mobiledevice, product information associated with said first product or productcategory, wherein said presented product information is at least partly based onsaid product information related to said first product or product category; f. identifying, by said mobile application program running on said mobile device, afirst event, wherein said first event comprises at least one of the events or a combination of the events of adding at least one item of said first product or 34 product category to the electronic shopping basket and checking-out at least oneitem ofsaid first product or product category for payment; transmitting, from said mobile device and in response to said identifying ofsaidfirst event, first event data representing said identified first event; transmitting, from said backend system and in response to receiving said firstevent data from said mobile device, an offer for sale which comprises at least oneitem ofsaid first product or product category and at least one item of a secondproduct or product category different from said at least one item of said firstproduct or product category; presenting, in the mobile application program and on the screen ofsaid mobiledevice, said offer for sale; identifying, in the mobile application program of said mobile device, a secondevent representing the acceptance by the user of the mobile device ofsaid offerfor sale, wherein said second event comprises at least one ofthe events or acombination of the events ofadding at least one item ofsaid second product orproduct category to the electronic shopping basket and checking-out at least oneitem of said second product or product category for payment; generating an optically readable code representing said offer for sale, whereinsaid optically readable code is one of generated by said mobile applicationprogram ofsaid mobile device and by said backend system in response toreceiving second event data representing said second event; and presenting, in the mobile application program and on the screen ofsaid mobiledevice, said optically readable code, wherein said optically readable code isadapted to be scanned by a scanner at the store and, when scanned, confirm tothe staff at the store that the user of said mobile device is authorized to purchaseat least one item of said first product or product category and at least one item ofsaid second product or product category according to the conditions of said offer for sale.

In embodiments, the technology disclosed relates to a method in a system including a backend system and a retail store with product items and at least one mobile device comprising a mobile application program running on said mobile device, comprising: scanning, by a mobile device, a barcode associated with a product item of a firstproduct or product category; transmitting, from said mobile device and in response to said first event ofscanning said barcode, at least one of said barcode and data representing said scanning of said barcode, transmitting, from the backend system and in response to said backend systemreceiving said at least one ofsaid barcode and data representing said scanning ofsaid barcode from said mobile device, product information related to said firstproduct or product category; receiving, at the mobile device, said product information related to said firstproduct or product category; presenting, in the mobile application program and on the screen ofsaid mobiledevice, product information associated with said first product or productcategory, wherein said presented product information is at least partly based onsaid product information related to said first product or product category;identifying, by said mobile application program running on said mobile device, afirst event, wherein said first event comprises at least one of the events or acombination of the events of adding at least one item of said first product orproduct category to the electronic shopping basket and checking-out at least oneitem of said first product or product category for payment; transmitting, from said mobile device and in response to said identifying ofsaidfirst event, first event data representing said identified first event; transmitting, from said backend system and in response to receiving said firstevent data from said mobile device, an offer for sale which comprises at least oneitem ofsaid first product or product category and at least one item of a secondproduct or product category different from said at least one item of said firstproduct or product category; presenting, in the mobile application program and on the screen ofsaid mobiledevice, said offer for sale; identifying, in the mobile application program of said mobile device, a secondevent representing the acceptance by the user of the mobile device ofsaid offerfor sale, wherein said second event comprises at least one ofthe events or acombination of the events ofadding at least one item ofsaid second product orproduct category to the electronic shopping basket and checking-out at least oneitem of said second product or product category for payment; generating an optically readable code representing said offer for sale, whereinsaid optically readable code is one of generated by said mobile applicationprogram ofsaid mobile device and by said backend system in response toreceiving second event data representing said second event; presenting, in the mobile application program and on the screen ofsaid mobile device, said optically readable code; and 36 m. scanning, by a scanner at the store, said optically readable code presented on the screen of said mobile device, thereby authorizing the purchase of at least oneitem ofsaid first product or product category and at least one item of said second product or product category according to the conditions of said offer for sale.

In embodiments, the technology disclosed relates to a method in a system including a backend system and a retail store with product items and at least one mobile device comprising a mobile application program running on said mobile device, comprising: scanning, by a mobile device, a barcode associated with a product item of a firstproduct or product category; transmitting, from said mobile device and in response to said first event ofscanning said barcode, at least one of said barcode and data representing saidscanning of said barcode, transmitting, from the backend system and in response to said backend systemreceiving said at least one ofsaid barcode and data representing said scanning ofsaid barcode from said mobile device, product information related to said firstproduct or product category; receiving, at the mobile device, said product information related to said firstproduct or product category; presenting, in the mobile application program and on the screen ofsaid mobiledevice, product information associated with said first product or productcategory, wherein said presented product information is at least partly based onsaid product information related to said first product or product category;identifying, by said mobile application program running on said mobile device, afirst event, wherein said first event comprises at least one of the events or acombination of the events of adding at least one item of said first product orproduct category to the electronic shopping basket and checking-out at least oneitem of said first product or product category for payment; transmitting, from said mobile device and in response to said identifying ofsaidfirst event, first event data representing said identified first event; transmitting, from said backend system and in response to receiving said firstevent data from said mobile device, an offer for sale which comprises at least oneitem ofsaid first product or product category and at least one item of a secondproduct or product category different from said at least one item of said firstproduct or product category; presenting, in the mobile application program and on the screen ofsaid mobile device, said offer for sale; 37 identifying, in the mobile application program of said mobile device, a secondevent representing the acceptance by the user of the mobile device ofsaid offerfor sale, wherein said second event comprises at least one ofthe events or acombination of the events ofadding at least one item ofsaid second product orproduct category to the electronic shopping basket and checking-out at least oneitem ofsaid second product or product category for payment; generating an optically readable code representing said offer for sale, whereinsaid optically readable code is one of generated by said mobile applicationprogram ofsaid mobile device and by said backend system in response toreceiving second event data representing said second event; and presenting, in the mobile application program and on the screen ofsaid mobiledevice, said optically readable code, wherein said optically readable code isadapted to be scanned by a scanner at the store and, when scanned, confirm tothe staff at the store that the user of said mobile device is authorized to purchaseat least one item of said first product or product category and at least one item ofsaid second product or product category according to the conditions of said offer for sale.

In embodiments, the technology disclosed relates to a method in a system including a backend system and a retail store with product items and at least one mobile device comprising a mobile application program running on said mobile device, comprising: scanning, by a mobile device, a barcode associated with a product item of a firstproduct or product category; transmitting, from said mobile device and in response to said first event ofscanning said barcode, at least one of said barcode and data representing saidscanning of said barcode, transmitting, from the backend system and in response to said backend systemreceiving said at least one ofsaid barcode and data representing said scanning ofsaid barcode from said mobile device, product information related to said firstproduct or product category; receiving, at the mobile device, said product information related to said firstproduct or product category; presenting, in the mobile application program and on the screen ofsaid mobiledevice, product information associated with said first product or productcategory, wherein said presented product information is at least partly based on said product information related to said first product or product category; 38 identifying, by said mobile application program running on said mobile device, afirst event, wherein said first event comprises at least one of the events or acombination of the events of adding at least one item of said first product orproduct category to the electronic shopping basket and checking-out at least oneitem ofsaid first product or product category for payment; transmitting, from said mobile device and in response to said identifying ofsaidfirst event, first event data representing said identified first event; transmitting, from said backend system and in response to receiving said firstevent data from said mobile device, an offer for sale which comprises at least oneitem ofsaid first product or product category and at least one item of a secondproduct or product category different from said at least one item of said firstproduct or product category; presenting, in the mobile application program and on the screen ofsaid mobiledevice, said offer for sale; identifying, in the mobile application program of said mobile device, a secondevent representing the acceptance by the user of the mobile device ofsaid offerfor sale, wherein said second event comprises at least one ofthe events or acombination of the events ofadding at least one item ofsaid second product orproduct category to the electronic shopping basket and checking-out at least oneitem of said second product or product category for payment; generating an optically readable code representing said offer for sale, whereinsaid optically readable code is one of generated by said mobile applicationprogram ofsaid mobile device and by said backend system in response toreceiving second event data representing said second event; presenting, in the mobile application program and on the screen ofsaid mobile device, said optically readable code; and _ scanning, by a scanner at the store, said optically readable code presented on the screen of said mobile device, thereby authorizing the purchase transaction of atleast one item of said first product or product category and at least one item ofsaid second product or product category according to the conditions of said offer for sale.

In embodiments, the technology disclosed relates to a method in a system including a backendsystem and a retail store with product items and at least one mobile device comprising a mobile application program running on said mobile device, comprising: 39 scanning, by a mobile device, a barcode associated with a product item of a firstproduct or product category; transmitting, from said mobile device and in response to said first event ofscanning said barcode, at least one of said barcode and data representing saidscanning of said barcode, transmitting, from the backend system and in response to said backend systemreceiving said at least one ofsaid barcode and data representing said scanning ofsaid barcode from said mobile device, product information related to said firstproduct or product category; receiving, at the mobile device, said product information related to said firstproduct or product category; presenting, in the mobile application program and on the screen ofsaid mobiledevice, product information associated with said first product or productcategory, wherein said presented product information is at least partly based onsaid product information related to said first product or product category;identifying, by said mobile application program running on said mobile device, afirst event, wherein said first event comprises at least one of the events or acombination of the events of adding at least one item of said first product orproduct category to the electronic shopping basket and checking-out at least oneitem of said first product or product category for payment; transmitting, from said mobile device and in response to said identifying ofsaidfirst event, first event data representing said identified first event; transmitting, from said backend system and in response to receiving said firstevent data from said mobile device, an offer for sale which comprises at least oneitem ofsaid first product or product category and at least one item of a secondproduct or product category different from said at least one item of said firstproduct or product category; presenting, in the mobile application program and on the screen ofsaid mobiledevice, said offer for sale; identifying, in the mobile application program of said mobile device, a secondevent representing the acceptance by the user of the mobile device ofsaid offerfor sale, wherein said second event comprises at least one ofthe events or acombination of the events ofadding at least one item ofsaid second product orproduct category to the electronic shopping basket and checking-out at least one item ofsaid second product or product category for payment; generating an optically readable code representing said offer for sale, whereinsaid optically readable code is one of generated by said mobile applicationprogram ofsaid mobile device and by said backend system in response toreceiving second event data representing said second event; presenting, in the mobile application program and on the screen ofsaid mobile device, said optically readable code; and _ scanning, by a scanner operatively coupled to the cashier system of the store, said optically readable code presented on the screen ofsaid mobile device,thereby authorizing the purchase of at least one item of said first product orproduct category and at least one item of said second product or productcategory according to the conditions of said offer for sale; and conducting, by the cashier system, a purchase transaction or Withdrawal from anaccount associated with the user of the mobile device according to the conditions ofsaid offer for sale.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Preferred embodiments ofa system according to the technology disclosed will be described more in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: FIG. 1 illustrates a system according to embodiments ofthe technology disclosed.

FIG. 2 is a ﬂowchart illustrating a process according to embodiments ofthe technology disclosed.

FIG. 3 is a ﬂowchart illustrating a process according to embodiments ofthe technology disclosed.

FIG. 4 is a ﬂowchart illustrating a process according to embodiments ofthe technology disclosed.

FIG. 5 is a ﬂowchart illustrating a process according to embodiments ofthe technology disclosed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 41 In the drawings, similar details are denoted with the same reference number throughout thedifferent embodiments. In the various embodiments of the system according to the technologydisclosed, the different subsystems are denoted. The "boxes"/subsystems shown in the drawingsare by way of example only and can within the scope ofthe technology disclosed be arranged in any other way or combination.

Internet-based retail merchants have utilized electronic shopping carts on their ecommercewebsites to allow consumers to shop throughout the site and check-out once completed. Oneadvantage of the online cart is that merchants can capture virtually any consumer events as eachaction creates a unique record, e.g. a HTTP event, database transaction, script execution, or other data processing result.

Many of these events, such as events indicating the acceptance of a purchase offer provided tothe customer's mobile device or the event of conducting a payment transaction including apurchase offer provided to the customer's mobile device, are simply not obtained by thebackend system, and are therefore typically not captured as part ofthe in-store shoppingexperience. Furthermore, there is no solution available today where a backend system iscapturing event data and providing an optically readable code adapted for validating or verifyingthat the customer is authorized to take advantage of a purchase offer in response to events identified by a mobile application program (AFP) running on a mobile device.

Another example ofsuch an event is the adding ofa second product, which is not scanned by thecustomer, to an electronic shopping cart event where the second product is a product item of apurchase offer provided in response to the scanning ofa barcode associated only with a firstproduct item of the purchase offer. On online sales, a shopping cart describes an event, or seriesof events, during which a consumer selects a first item places it in their electronic shopping cart,effectively adding the item to their order. For example, a consumer may add the second productitem to their cart following the receipt of the purchase offer, and then complete a transaction including both the first and the second product of the purchase offer.

Other events, such as the user of the mobile device's acceptance of an aggregate or combinedpurchase offer including a first and second product item by adding the aggregate purchase offerto the shopping basket of the mobile application program following the scanning of a barcodeassociated with the first product item belonging to a first product different from the secondproduct, are also not captured as part of the ofﬂine shopping experience. Furthermore, there isno solution available today for a backend system, e.g. purchase server, of capturing and acting in response to the acceptance by the user of the mobile device ofsuch an aggregate purchase offer 42 without the user having to scan a barcode associated with a second product item belonging to the second product.

The inventors have recognized and appreciated that the use of personal, mobile devices as point-of-sale ("POS") apparatus provides numerous opportunities to enhance the in-store shoppingexperience for consumers and allows merchants and brand companies to capture and analyzedata previously not accounted for. For example, a consumer may select, view, touch, listen to, orotherwise interact with a product in the store. Unlike returns, which can be easily tracked as twodistinct transactions (a purchase and a return), a "non-purchase" cannot be easily traced. Inother instances, the consumer may view a product, and, while deciding whether to make thepurchase, use a mobile device to search for a better deal elsewhere. In still other cases, theconsumer may decide to purchase multiple products, but, due to various logistical or timingconstraints, only want to leave the store with a subset of the products, while having the balance of her order shipped or delivered to her at another time.

The optically readable code may, for example, be a matrix barcode (QR code), a universal product code (UPC), a three-dimensional barcode, or European Article Number (EAN).

A QR code is one of the most well-known kinds of 2D barcodes. QR codes are designed from apattern of black squares configured on a white background. The code can retain data much like aregular barcode you see on an article ofclothing or on food products that are scanned at thecheckout counter for information about price and other data. The QR code pattern has thepossibility of retaining much more data than typical barcodes. The kind of information and size of the code determine how much data each code can hold. ífertain examples of the techiwlogy' tiiscloseti psmvifie a corttrtwl, system including a processorconfigttred to receive a trigger in the form of event data to initiate an optically readable codeQuery in response to c-r låﬁased at least in part on the receiving of everit data wvliiclï vaastranstnitted front a rnobilfa tïevicfæ in response to the identifying an event intlicatittg tlieacceptance a pttrchase cwffer by the user ofthe :nobile device. The exsnnple controš systern inay include at least one engine configured to tiyrtarnieaily create subsetgneïtt gvurchase csfiïefs and 43 discount crides in response to ieceiviilg, event data froin rnohile desfices. The example ccintriilsvsteni niay also include a Validation engine crin,fig,ui"ed to search and retrieve riptically :readataiecodes or data for generating and] or aiisplafying opiticallf; readalale codes on the screen of theinohile clevicfe. An example engine may he ccinfigiirefl to provide one or inore identified opticallf;readahle codes to a target rnohile device to therehy' determine the ifaliditjy' each purchaseoffer. The example "processor is to dynainically provide opticallif reaclahle codes presented on acustomers rnohile device in response to receiviiig event data representing the acceptance of apurch cifiler. "fhe fipticaily' readahle code, vvlieii vievved, scanned or read, determines thevalidity of the tireviciusly' provided purchase riffer and rnay he used for ifalidating or iferïifyiii toa ctornpiiter iinit, cashiei* system :and/iir staff inemhei' in a store that the user of a inohile device displaying the cipticalljy' readahle code is authorized to tahe advantage of the purchase offer.

Certain exarnples girovide a niethod including initiating, "ray the crintrol sjgxsteni and hased on atrigger in the form of receisfecl everit aiata, an opticallgf reeiclalnle code or data. for generatingand/or displaying an optically readahle code on the screen niohile device. The exampleinethod includes searching for and retrieviiig opticallfv' readahle codes iising a processor. Theexample inethotl includes providing, using the processor ifvithotit further user input, anitlentifiietl suhsequeiit piirchase offer or discount in the forni an opticalljæ readahle code to acustomerﬁa niohiie device, uflieie the fiptically readahle code, vvlieii scanned or read, deterirlinesthe veilidity of the piirch (after. 'fhe exennple nietlniai includes tlynaniicallja providing one ornitire purchase offers or aiisctiunts to a cfiistciniefs niohile dei/ice, or a group of ctiistonier"sniohile device, in response to receiying, hy the control systeni, event data representiiig the identification ofan everit iridicatiiig the acceptance of a purchase offer hy the same customer. ífertain examples proviaie a tan gihle ccimiauteioreaciahle storage niediiiin, including ttoinpiiterprogram instructions avhicli, vatten executed hy a processor, are to irnpleinent a method. Theexample inethotl includes providing, hasecl on a trigger, an opticallyf readahle ccide qnery haseclat least in part event data received hy the control systern. The example inethocl includessearching, for and retrieifing fipticaily' readahle codes. 'The exarnple niethod includes providing,using the processor 'vvithritit ftirtlriei' user input, one or niore identified tipticalljg/ reaclalsle ccidesvmfhictli niay lae iised to aieterniiiie the *aaliditgf of each purchase offer. 'lfhe esaniiale inethod.includes dynamicallyf providing or more iaptically' readahle codes to ciistoinens rnohile device in response to received event data iridicating the acceptance, hy the customer, of a ptirchase ciffer previously protfitlecl hy tlie control systern. 44 Various embodiments of the invention related to methods and systems for enabling theimplementation of various in-store purchase options, as well as the capture of informationrelated to purchases and non-purchases alike. While specific examples may vary, certainimplementations provide an application that may be downloaded to or come as a nativeapplication on a consumer mobile device that enables consumers to indicate if and why apurchase may be completed, provide delivery checkout instructions, and compare prices and other transaction details across multiple merchants, all while remaining in the store.

Using the techniques and systems described herein, merchants will gain access to data related tocomplete and incomplete purchases and be able to offer more ﬂexible and validly verifiedpurchase offers to consumers shopping in-store. Unlike online shopping experiences duringwhich a consumer's interaction with a product is limited to viewing on a screen, in-storeshopping allows a consumer to pick up, touch and inspect a product. For example, a consumermay pick up and scan an item using her mobile device to learn more information about theproduct (price, discounts, Warranty, ratings, delivery costs and options, etc.) and decide tocheck-out or add the product to the shopping basket in the mobile application program running on the mobile device.

As mentioned above, there is no solution available today for providing in-store purchase offersand subsequently validating or verifying, in real-time, that the customer is authorized to takeadvantage of purchase offers accepted by the customer while in-store. In particular, there are nosolution available today where a backend/ control system is used for validating or verifying thata user of a mobile device is authorized to take advantage of a purchase offer provided by thesame backend/ control system in response to events related to the identification of physicalproduct items available in the store, and where the events are performed by the customer whilethe customer is present in the store and identified by a mobile application program (APP)running on the customer's mobile device. The events may, for example, represent decisionsmade by the customer of acquiring an image associated with a first physical product itemavailable for sale in the store and proceeding with a purchase offer presented in real-time to thecustomer while in-store, where the purchase offer, which is displayed on the user's mobiledevice, includes at least one second product or product category available for sale in the storeand which is different from the first product or product category to which the first physical product item belongs _ Decisions which are made by the customer, i.e. the user ofthe mobile device, not only provides valuable information to the retailer and the brand, but also provide opportunities to turn knowledge about a shown interest about a first product into a subsequent or aggregate purchaseincluding a second product, e.g. event data or information related to a first product which isobtained by a backend system in real-time while the customer is in the store, e.g. identificationof occurred events reﬂecting the customer's interest in proceeding with purchasing a firstproduct while the customer is present in the store, may be used to create/construct and/orpresent an purchase offer in real-time to the customer which comprises a subsequent, combinedor aggregate purchase offer including the additional purchase ofa second product, e.g. at a discounted price.

The technology disclosed is generally directed to systems, methods and computer programproducts for providing in-store product information and purchase offers. According to differentexample embodiments, the control system, or backend system, is configured to receive, from aconsumer's mobile device, event data indicating the consumer's interest in purchasing productsavailable at a store and then subsequently provide product information, purchase offers basedon previously obtained event data, and an optically readable code for verification in the store. Inembodiments, an optically readable code is displayed on the customer's mobile device inresponse to an event identified by an application program running on the customer's mobiledevice, where the contents of each optically readable code provided to a customer is adapted tobe used for validating or verifying that the customer is authorized to take advantage of a certainpurchase offer. In embodiments, the present invention relates to the acquisition ofan imageidentifying a first product and, in response to the acquired image, event data representing theevent of acquiring the image and/or a subsequent event identified by the application program,the consumer is provided with a purchase offer including at least a second product different from the first product identified by the acquired image.

The system, methods and computer program products of the technology disclosed provides thecustomer with purchase offers while the customer is present in a store in which products of the purchase offer are available.

In embodiments, the technology disclosed relates to a system, methods and computer programproducts for capturing and acting in response to a sequence ofevents or subsequently receivedevent data, e.g. automatically and in real-time, in order to provide a purchase offer comprisingboth a first physical product in the store which associated barcode was scanned or read by themobile device receiving the purchase offer and a second product which associated barcode themobile device was not scanned or read before receiving the purchase offer. After first receiving and then accepting the purchase offer, the customer typically needs to fetch at least one physical 46 item ofthe second product and bring the at least one physical item of the first product and the atleast one physical item ofthe second product to the cash register desk or and/or a self-checkoutterminal. At the desk and/or terminal, the image data representing the purchase offer, e.g. anoptically readable code which contents represents the purchase offer, is displayed on the screenof the mobile device and is then shown to a staff member at the cash register desk or is scannedor read by a device. The scanning or reading may performed by using a device communicativelyconnected to the cashier system of the store, thereby validating or verifying that the user of themobile device is authorized to take advantage ofthe purchase offer comprising at least one item of the first product and at least one item ofthe second product.

In embodiments, data for generating and/or displaying the purchase offer, or data which isrepresenting the purchase offer, is provided by the control system to a predetermined group ofmobile devices including the mobile device in response to the control system receiving abarcode or image data following the scanning, by the mobile device, ofa barcode, or acquiring ofan image, associated with the physical product item in the store where the barcode or image isadapted for identifying, by the control system, a first product or product category to which thephysical product item belongs. The purchase offer may then be determined, retrieved and/orcreated/constructed by the control system in response to identifying the first product or firstproduct category and data for generating and/or displaying the purchase offer on the displays ofthe predetermined group ofmobile devices including the mobile device performing thescanning/acquiring may be transmitted in response to determining, retrieving and/or created / constructing the purchase offer.

In certain embodiments, the purchase offer may then have been previously created/constructedat least partly based on event data received, by the control system, from a plurality of mobiledevices among the predetermined group of mobile devices including the mobile device. Thepurchase offer may also or in addition have been previously created/constructed at least partlybased on event data received from other mobile devices outside the predetermined group ofmobile devices where the event data is associated with events associated with the first productor first product category and/or a second product or second product category which is a part ofthe purchase offer. The purchase offer may also have been created/constructed, by the controlsystem, at least partly based on content that the control system has gathered or received fromsocial media. The control system may then be configured to dynamically create / construct orchange purchase offers based on the event data that the control system receives from mobiledevices and/or contents that the control system receives or retrieves from social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. 47 In embodiments, the provided purchase offer, including at least one item ofthe first product,which associated barcode was scanned before receiving the purchase, and at least one item ofasecond product different from the first product, where the combined purchase offer is at leastpartly based on previously received event data, i.e. received before the customer entered thestore. The combined offer, including both the first product which physical product item'sassociated barcode label was scanned or read by the mobile device and the second product maythen be created/constructed, e.g. dynamically created/constructed, at least partly based onidentified and/or received events and/or event data obtained before the customer entered thestore, where the events and/ or event data was identified by and/ or received from at least one ofthe customer's own mobile device and the mobile devices of other customers. The previouslyidentified and / or received events and / or event data may then be associated with previouslyperformed purchases ofitems of the first product and of the second product, e.g. combined oraggregated purchases including at least one item ofthe first product and at least one item of the second product.

In embodiments, the optically readable code also includes payment credentials of the customerassociated with the mobile device and the payment transaction is conducted automatically inresponse to said scanning or acquiring ofan image ofsaid optically readable code by a scanneror an image acquisition device operatively coupled to or communicatively connected to the cashier system of the store.

In certain embodiments of the methods, systems and computer program products of thetechnology disclosed, the scanning or reading of the displayed optically readable code mayautomatically initiate a payment transaction for purchasing the at least one product itemaccording to the price and conditions of the purchase offer provided to the customer's mobiledevice, e.g. by automatically providing, by the controls system, the payment credentials of the customer in response to the scanning or reading ofthe optically readable code. 48 FIG. 1 illustrates a system 100 in which a mobile device 105 (e.g., a mobile telephone, personaldigital assistant, smartphone, or other handheld device such as an iPhone or Android-baseddevice) may be used to purchase a product 110 from a store 110xt, in accordance with someembodiments of the present disclosure. Mobile device 105 may be any mobile device having aprocessing capability, such as a cellular phone or a personal digital assistant (PDA). Mobiledevice 105 may be operatively connected to an image acquisition component 115, for example acamera integrated into the mobile device 105. Image acquisition component 115 may be anydevice component capable of capturing an image of information identifying a product. Suchinformation may include, for example, an image ofa barcode (e.g., universal product code (UPC),a matrix barcode (QR code), three-dimensional barcode, or European Article Number (EAN)) ona label 120 affixed to product 110, an image of product 110 itself, an image ofall or a portion ofthe packaging of product 110, or any other image that includes information identifying theproduct 110. In some embodiments, the image acquisition component 115 may further includeoptical character recognition capabilities, such that product names, brands, serial numbers,product numbers, or other text-based information may be read, digitally represented, and usedin accordance with various implementations of the invention. In the examples below, label 120 is described as being a barcode. However, this provided merely as an example, aslabel 120 may be any product identifying number or may be any other information usable to identify product 110.

When a user of mobile device 105 intends to purchase a product 110 in the store 101, the usermay use the image acquisition component 115 of the mobile device 105 to obtain an image thatincludes the product's barcode label 120 or other information identifying the product 110. Themobile device 105 may be programmed with an application program to communicate with acontrol system 130, or backend system, to capture events and transactions representing theuser's interaction with the product 110 and, if desired, facilitate the purchase of products suchas product 110. The application program may be installed on the mobile device in any ofanumber of ways. For example, the user may download the application program to the mobiledevice 105 from a developer of the application, from the control system130, from the retail establishment, or from any other suitable source.

The control system 130, or backend system, may have access to any ofvarious imagerecognition processes by which the barcode 121 ofproduct 110 may be determined from theimage taken of the barcode label 120. The control system 130 may also have access to productinformation for the product 110, including, for example, description and price information,through communication with a client database 131. Once control system 130 determines the barcode ofthe product 110, the control system 130 may transmit the corresponding product 49 information to mobile device 105, in response to receiving from the mobile device the image taken ofthe barcode label 120.

In embodiments, the technology disclosed relates to a system, methods and computer programproducts for capturing and acting in response to a sequence ofevents or subsequently receivedevent data, e.g. automatically and in real-time, in order to provide a purchase offer comprisingboth a first physical product 110 in the store 101 which associated barcode label 120 wasscanned or read by the mobile device 105 receiving the purchase offer and a second product110y which associated barcode the mobile device was not scanned or read before receiving the purchase offer.

In example embodiments, the control system 130 may comprise a client database 131, orconstruct based on obtained event data, different purchase offers, e.g. personalized orcustomized purchase offers, which include at least one item of the first product 110 and at leastone item ofa second product 111, or the control system 130 may have access to purchase offersby retrieving information from, or through communication with, the client database 131. Oncecontrol system 130 determines the barcode 121 of the product 110, the control system130 maytransmit the corresponding product information to mobile device 105, in response to receiving from the mobile device the image taken of the barcode label 120.

After first receiving and then performing actions in the application program indicating theacceptance of the purchase offer by the customer 102, the customer 102 typically fetch at leastone physical item of the second product 111 and bring the at least one physical item of the firstproduct 110 and the at least one physical item of the second product 111 to a cash register desk140 or and/or a self-checkout terminal 141. At the desk and/or terminal, the image datarepresenting the purchase offer, e.g. an optically readable code which contents represents thepurchase offer, is displayed on the screen of the mobile device 105 and is then shown to a staffmember 180 at the cash register desk 140 or is scanned or read by a scanner 181 or an imageacquisition device 182, e.g. a mobile communication device, operated by the staff member 180at the desk 140 or a scanner 151 or an image acquisition device 152 operated by the customerat the self-checkout terminal 141. Thus, the scanning or reading may performed by using adevice (151, 152, 181, 182) operatively coupled to or communicatively connected to thecashier system ofthe store 101, thereby validating or verifying that the user of the mobiledevice 105 is authorized to take advantage of the purchase offer comprising at least one item ofthe first product 110 and at least one item ofthe second product 111. The scanning or reading of the displayed optically readable code may automatically also initiate a payment transaction for purchasing the at least one product item according to the price and conditions of the purchase offer provided to the customer's mobile device.

The optically readable code displayed on the screen/display ofthe mobile device 105 inresponse to receiving the event data indicating the event of acceptance by the customer of apurchase offer may also be scanned or read by a scanner or image acquisition or recognitiondevice (151, 161) at a self-checkout desk 141 in the store 101 and/or at the exit gate area ordesk 160 of the store 101, to thereby open an exit gate 162. The optically readable code, whenscanned or read by a scanner or image acquisition or recognition device (151, 161) at the self-checkout area or desk 141 in the store 101 and/or at the exit gate area or desk 160 ofthe store101, may then deactivate an alarm tag attached to the first physical product item 110 and/orautomatically open the exit gate 162 in response to the scanning or reading of the optically readable code.

In embodiments, the mobile device 105 and the control system 130 may communicate witheach other (as well as other devices and data sources) via a network 125. The networkcommunication may take place via any media such as standard and / or cellular telephone lines,LAN or WAN links, broadband connections (ISDN, Frame Relay, ATM), wireless links, and so on.Preferably, the network 125 can carry TCP/ IP protocol communications, and HTTP/HTTPSrequests made by the mobile device and the connection between the mobile device 105 and thecontrol system 130 can be communicated over such networks. In some implementations, thenetwork includes various cellular data networks such as 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G and others. The type ofnetwork is not limited, however, and any suitable network may be used. Typical examples ofnetworks that can serve as the communications network 125 include a wireless or wiredEthernet-based intranet, a local or wide-area network (LAN or WAN), and/or the globalcommunications network known as the Internet, which may accommodate many different communications media and protocols.

The control system 130 may include various functional components, including, for example, aclient database 131, a communications server 133 with Application Programming Interfaces(APIs) for interacting with the application program running on the mobile device 105, and anapplication server 134. In various implementations of the system according to the technologydisclosed, the control system may also comprise a purchase server 132, which comprises thecommunications server 133 and the application server 134. In other implementations of thesystem according to the technology disclosed, at least the communication server 134 may bereplaced by a microservices computer architecture with APIs for interacting with the application program running on the mobile device 105. The communication server 134, or the microservices computer architecture, provides the conduit through which requests for data andprocessing are received from the mobile device 105, as well as interaction with other serversthat may provide additional product information such as product descriptions, inventory levels,pricing details. The communication server 134 may also transmit product and/or offerinformation to the mobile device 105 via the network 125. The application server 134 storesand executes the primary programming instructions for facilitating the functions executed onthe purchase server 132. Data describing the product(s) and historical event data related to theuser, the store, and/or the product may be stored in a client database 131 for use by the application server 134.

As the user shops, she can use the application program on the mobile device 105 to receivepurchase offers and request information about product(s) she may considering purchasing. Forexample, she may scan the barcode symbol 121 on the barcode label 120 attached to theproduct 110 as well as receive pricing, warranty, delivery options, reliability or otherinformation about the product that may inﬂuence her decision to purchase the product 110. Shemay use information about the product 110 to search other stores pricing, inventory or othersales parameters using a search application, either separate from the application program orembedded within the application program. She may confirm the purchase, or, in some cases, decide not to purchase the product and place the product back on the shelf.

The user may enter credit card information and authorization into a user interface ofthe mobiledevice 105, and the mobile device 105 may transmit the credit card information andauthorization to the purchase server 132 of the control system to initiate a purchase of product 110. In some embodiments, purchase server 130 may also be in communication with anoffer server (not shown), in which various offers from manufacturers and/ or retailers may be stored in association with products (110, 111) offered for sale by the store 101.

FIG. 2 is a ﬂowchart illustrating a process according to certain embodiments of the technologydisclosed, comprising the following steps:provide purchase offer to mobile device (STEP 201);b. identify, by mobile device, at least one event indicating acceptance of purchaseoffer (STEP 202);c. transmit, by mobile device, event data representing the acceptance (STEP 203);d. receive, by control system, event data representing the acceptance (STEP 204);e. transmit, by control system, data for generating and / or displaying an opticallyreadable verification code (STEP 205);f display, by mobile device, the optically readable verification code (STEP 206).

FIG. 3 is a ﬂowchart illustrating a process according to certain embodiments of the technologydisclosed, comprising the following steps:a. scan a barcode associated with a physical product (STEP 301);b. transmit data representing barcode (STEP 302); c. transmit data representing the purchase offer (STEP 303); d. display data representing the purchase offer (STEP 304); e. identify event indicating the event ofaccepting the purchase offer (STEP 305);f transmit event data representing the event indicating the acceptance of the purchase offer (STEP 306).

FIG. 4 is a ﬂowchart illustrating a process according to certain embodiments of the technologydisclosed where a control system is performing the following steps:a. receive scanned barcode data (STEP 401);b. determine product associated with barcode (STEP 402); c. identify purchase offer associated with identified product (STEP 403); d. transmit data representing a purchase offer (STEP 404); e. receive event data indicating acceptance of purchase offer (STEP 405); and f transmit data for displaying an optically readable verification code (STEP 406).

FIG. 5 is a ﬂowchart illustrating a process according to certain embodiments of the technologydisclosed where an application program is performing the following steps:a. receive data representing a purchase offer (STEP 501);b. display data representing the purchase offer (STEP 502);c. identify the event indicating acceptance ofthe purchase offer (STEP 503); andd. display the optically readable verification code (STEP 504).

A user interested in learning more about a product or considering purchasing the product usesinitiates an application on her mobile device 105 which provides barcode and scanningfunctionality. The user scans the image, and the mobile app transmits the image data to thecontrol system 130. The control system 130 processes the image received from mobile device105 using an image recognition technique to identify the product associated with the transmitted image.

Once the product has been identified, the purchase offer associated with the product may be retrieved by a computer unit of the control system, for example, from a client database either stored on a purchase server or a separate data store and transmitted to the mobile device 105where it is displayed to the user. The purchase offer may be displayed as an image, as a textual message, or a combination ofthe two.

In certain embodiments of the technology disclosed and after having seen the productinformation, the user may then determine whether to add the product to the electronic shoppingbasket of the application program or not. In embodiments ofthe technology disclosed, and if theuser decides to accept the purchase offer including the product, the user can confirm thisacceptance by, for example, adding a product item belonging to a second product of the purchaseoffer to the electronic shopping basket, by adding all ofthe product items of the purchase offerto the electronic shopping basket, by checking out the product items of the purchase offer toproceed to payment, e.g. by selecting a button or menu option, actively requesting for anoptically readable verification code by selecting a button or menu option, entering paymentinstructions (e.g., using PayPal, a credit or debit card, etc.) and/or providing other informationrelated to the purchase. Once entered, event data representing the at least one event indicating the acceptance ofthe user is transmitted to the control system where it is processed.

In embodiments, the provided purchase offer, including at least one item ofthe first product,which associated barcode was scanned before receiving the purchase, and at least one item ofasecond product different from the first product, where the combined purchase offer is at leastpartly based on previously received event data, i.e. received before the customer entered thestore. The combined offer, including both the first product which physical product item'sassociated barcode label was scanned or read by the mobile device and the second product maythen be created/constructed, e.g. dynamically created/constructed, at least partly based onidentified and/or received events and/or event data obtained before the customer entered thestore, where the events and/ or event data was identified by and/ or received from at least one ofthe customer's own mobile device and the mobile devices of other customers. The previouslyidentified and / or received events and / or event data may then be associated with previouslyperformed purchases ofitems of the first product and of the second product, e.g. combined oraggregated purchases including at least one item ofthe first product and at least one item of the second product.

In aspects, the system, methods adapted for validly and computer program products of thetechnology disclosed are adapted for securely validating or verifying, to the staff member at thestore and/or the cashier system of the store before payment, that a customer, or user ofa mobile device, can take advantage ofa purchase offer, e.g. a customized or personalized purchase offer, provided to the customer in response to identified events associated with the customer's mobile device and while the customer is present in the store.

In embodiments, the technology disclosed is directed to validating or verifying that a customer isauthorized to take advantage of a purchase offer by providing a scannable and / or readableverification code, and more particularly to method and a system for capturing and acting onevent data to provide secure verification of the customer's authorization to take advantage ofthe purchase offer by providing the scannable and/or readable verification code in response toevents identified by the application program running on the mobile device. In embodiments andafter receiving an optically readable code which contents at least partly represents the purchaseoffer, the customer typically needs to fetch the at least one physical product item ofthe purchaseoffer and bring the at least one physical item to the cash register desk or and/or a self-checkoutterminal. At the desk and/or terminal, the image data representing the purchase offer, e.g. theoptically readable code which contents represents the purchase offer, is displayed on the screenof the mobile device and is then shown to a staff member at the cash register desk or is scannedor read by a device. At the desk and/ or terminal, the image data representing the purchase offer,e.g. an optically readable code which content represents the purchase offer, is displayed on thescreen ofthe mobile device and may then be scanned or read by a device operated by a staffmember at the desk or a device operated by the customer at the self-checkout terminal, e.g. ascanner. Thus, the scanning or reading may be performed by using a device communicativelyconnected to the cashier system of the store, thereby validating or verifying that the user of themobile device is authorized to take advantage of the purchase offer comprising the at least one physical product item brought to the cash register desk or and/or a self-checkout terminal.

In embodiments, the technology disclosed relates to a system, methods and computer programproducts for capturing and acting in response to a sequence ofevents or subsequently receivedevent data, e.g. automatically and in real-time, in order to display data representing a purchaseoffer on the screen ofthe customer's mobile device. The displayed purchase offer may theninclude the purchase of both a first product which physical product item associated barcode wasscanned or read in the store by the mobile device receiving the purchase offer and the purchaseof an product item of at least one second product which associated barcode the mobile devicewas not scanned or read before receiving the purchase offer. After first receiving and thenaccepting the purchase offer, the customer typically needs to fetch at least one physical item ofthe second product and bring the at least one physical item ofthe first product and the at leastone physical item of the second product to the cash register desk or and/or a self-checkout terminal where the image data representing the purchase offer is shown or scanned/read by a device to validate or verify that the user of the mobile device is authorized to take advantage ofthe purchase offer, e.g. a customized or personalized purchase offer which is based onpreviously obtained event data. In certain embodiments of the methods, systems and computerprogram products of the technology disclosed, the scanning or reading of the displayed opticallyreadable code may automatically initiate a payment transaction for purchasing the at least oneitem ofthe first product and the at least one item ofthe second product according to the priceand conditions of the purchase offer provided to the customer's mobile device, e.g. byautomatically providing, by the controls system, the payment credentials of the customer in response to the scanning or reading ofthe optically readable code.

In embodiments, the technology disclosed is directed to validating or verifying that a customer isauthorized to take advantage of a purchase offer by providing a scannable and / or readableverification code, and more particularly to method and a system for capturing and acting onevent data to provide secure verification of the customer's authorization to take advantage ofthe purchase offer by providing the scannable and/or readable verification code in response toevents identified by the application program running on the mobile device. In embodiments andafter receiving an optically readable code which contents at least partly represents the purchaseoffer, the customer typically needs to fetch the at least one physical product item ofthe purchaseoffer and bring the at least one physical item to the cash register desk or and/or a self-checkoutterminal. At the desk and/or terminal, the image data representing the purchase offer, e.g. theoptically readable code which contents represents the purchase offer, is displayed on the screenof the mobile device and is then shown to a staff member at the cash register desk or is scannedor read by a device. The scanning or reading may performed by using a device communicativelyconnected to the cashier system of the store, thereby validating or verifying that the user of themobile device is authorized to take advantage of the purchase offer comprising the at least one physical product item brought to the cash register desk or and/or a self-checkout terminal.

In certain aspects ofthe technology disclosed, event data resulting from a consumer's behaviorat a retail establishment is captured using a mobile device and a backend system, where thebackend system, or control system, may comprise a client database, a purchase server and/or anoffer server. An image identifying a first product being offered for sale by a retail establishmentis obtained via an image acquisition component operatively connected to the mobile device.

In embodiments, the image, or data representing the image of the first product, is transmittedfrom the mobile device to the backend system, and product information, e.g. including price and description information, may be received in response. The product information may then be presented in a mobile application program running on the mobile device and displayed on a display or screen of the mobile device.

In other aspects, the technology disclosed relates to the acquisition of an image identifying a firstproduct and in response to event data representing the event of acquiring the image and/or asubsequent event of adding an item of the first product to the shopping basket in the mobileapplication program running on the mobile device, the consumer is provided with productinformation and/or a purchase offer from a backend system, where the purchase offers includes at least a second product different from the first product associated with the acquired image.

In embodiments, the technology disclosed relates to a backend/control system configured totransmit data adapted for generating and / or displaying an optically readable code in theapplication program and on the screen of a mobile device, where the data is transmitted inresponse to the backend/ control system receiving event data, from the same mobile device,representing the event of accepting, by the user ofthe mobile device, a purchase offer previouslyprovided to the mobile device. The displayed optically readable code, when scanned or read,may then be adapted and used for validating or verifying to the cashier system of the retail storeor to the staff in the retail store, that the user can, or is authorized to, take advantage of thepurchase offer and proceed to payment. The optically readable code may then be representingthe purchase offer or reﬂecting the items currently in the shopping basket which includes theproduct items of the purchase offer. Following the scanning or reading of the opticallyreadable/scannable code in the retail store to validate or verify that the user of the mobiledevice /customer is authorized to take advantage of the purchase offer, the customer mayproceed to payment by conducting a purchase transaction in the store including at least thepurchase ofthe product items according to the price, terms and/or conditions ofthe purchaseoffer. The purchase transaction may then be conducted by a staff member using the cashiersystem of the store or by the user of the mobile at a self-checkout terminal in the store. Thescanner, or image acquisition device, used for scanning or reading the optically readable code tothereby validate or verify that the user of the mobile device / customer is authorized to takeadvantage of the purchase offer may then be communicatively connected to and/ or operatively coupled to the self-checkout terminal and the cashier system ofthe store.

In embodiments, the method, the self-checkout terminal and the cashier system of thetechnology disclosed further comprises the step of automatically conducting a paymenttransaction which includes the payment ofthe product items ofsaid purchase offer in response to scanning or reading, e.g. by a scanner or image acquisition device ofthe self-checkout terminal which is operatively coupled to the cashier system of the store, the optically readablecode displayed on the screen of the mobile device. In embodiments, the optically readable codealso includes optically readable code representing the payment credentials ofa customerassociated with the mobile device. In certain embodiments, the payment credentials of acustomer associated with the mobile device, when scanned or read, is used for performing saidstep of automatically conducting a payment transaction including the payment of the product items ofsaid purchase offer in response to scanning or reading said optically readable code.

In embodiments, the technology disclosed relates to a backend system, e.g. a control system,configured to transmit data adapted for generating and / or displaying an optically readable codein response to the backend / control system receiving, from the mobile device, event datarepresenting the event of actively requesting, by the user ofthe mobile device activating someinput means of the mobile device, the optically readable code representing, including orcorresponding to the purchase offer to be displayed in the application program and on thescreen of the mobile device. The products items corresponding to the purchase offer may then have been previously added to the electronic shopping basket/cart of the application program.

In embodiments, the technology disclosed relates to a backend system, e.g. a control system,configured to transmit data adapted for generating and / or displaying an optically readable codein response to the backend / control system receiving, from the mobile device, event datarepresenting the event of accepting the purchase offer by activating/pressing at least onebutton, object, symbol, link or area in the application program, e.g. the electronic shoppingbasket/ cart, where the at least one button, object, symbol, link or area is associated withproducts items corresponding to the purchase offer. The products items corresponding to thepurchase offer may then have been previously added to the electronic shopping basket/cart of the application program.

In embodiments, the technology disclosed relates to a backend system, e.g. a control system,configured to transmit data adapted for generating and / or displaying an optically readable codein response to the backend / control system receiving, from the mobile device, event datarepresenting the event of accepting the purchase offer by actively checking-out, in theapplication program running on the mobile device, product items corresponding to the purchaseoffer. The step ofchecking-out the items in the application program may then involve the action,by the user ofthe mobile device, of pressing at least one button, object, link or area in the application program to check-out items corresponding to the purchase offer.

In embodiments, the technology disclosed relates to a backend system, e.g. a control system,configured to transmit data adapted for generating and / or displaying an optically readable codein response to the backend / control system receiving, from the mobile device, event datarepresenting the event of accepting the purchase offer by checking-out, in the application program running on the mobile device, product items corresponds to the purchase offer.

In embodiments, the technology disclosed relates to a backend system, e.g. a control system,configured to transmit data adapted for generating and / or displaying an optically readable codein response to the backend / control system receiving event data, from the mobile device,representing the event of adding items corresponding to the product items ofthe purchase offer to the electronic shopping basket/cart ofthe application program running on the mobile device.

In embodiments, the event data received by the backend / control system and which triggers thetransmission of data for generating and/or displaying an optically readable code may representan identified second event ofadding the products of the purchase offer, or at least an item of asecond product or second product category, to the electronic shopping basket of the applicationprogram following an identified first event of acquiring an image, e.g. scanning a barcode,associated with and identifying a first physical product item belonging to a first product or first product category different from the second product or second product category.

In embodiments, the event data received by the backend / control system and which triggers thetransmission of data for generating and/or displaying an optically readable/scannable code mayrepresent at least one ofthe second event of adding the products ofthe purchase offer or at leastan item ofa second product to the electronic shopping basket ofthe application programfollowing a first event of acquiring an image, e.g. scanning a barcode, associated with a firstphysical product item belonging to a first product or first product category different from the second product or second product category.

Embodiments of the technology disclosed are directed to a system, a backend/control system, anapplication program installed on a mobile device and methods for providing, by the backend/ control system, a purchase offer and then validating or verifying, by the applicationprogram, the acceptance ofa purchase offer by the user of the mobile device in response toevent data identified by the application program and representing occurred events and/oractions performed by the user of the mobile device (customer) while the user/customer is present in the store.

In embodiments, the technology disclosed relates to an application program installed on amobile device and which is configured to generate and/or display an optically readable code inthe application program and on the screen ofa mobile device in response to the applicationprogram is identifying the event of accepting, by the user of the mobile device, a purchase offerpreviously provided to the mobile device from a backend/ control system. The displayedoptically readable code, when scanned or read, may then be adapted and used for validating orverifying to the cashier system of the retail store or to the staff in the retail store, that the usercan, or is authorized to, take advantage of the purchase offer and proceed to payment. Theoptically readable code may then be representing the purchase offer or reﬂecting the itemscurrently in the shopping basket which includes the product items of the purchase offer. Inembodiments, the event of accepting the purchase offer identified by the application programincludes actively checking-out, in the application program running on the mobile device, productitems corresponding to the purchase offer. The step of checking-out the items in the applicationprogram may then involve the action, performed by the user of the mobile device, of pressing atleast one button, object, link or area in the application program to check-out items corresponding to the purchase offer.

In embodiments, the technology disclosed relates to a an application program installed on amobile device configured to generate and/or display an optically readable code in response toidentifying the activation ofinput means of the mobile device, the optically readable coderepresenting, including or corresponding to the purchase offer to be displayed in the applicationprogram and on the screen ofthe mobile device. The products items corresponding to thepurchase offer may then have been previously added to the electronic shopping basket/cart ofthe application program. The optically readable code may then be adapted for validating orverifying, when scanned by a scanner or read by the staff or image acquisitions means of thestore, that the user of the mobile device is authorized to take advantage of the purchase offerprovided to him/her. Following the verification by using the scanner of the cashier system or thedevice ofa staff member in the store that the user of the mobile device/customer is authorizedto take advantage of the purchase offer, the customer may proceed to payment by conducting apurchase transaction in the store including at least the purchase of the product items accordingto the price, terms and/or conditions of the purchase offer. The purchase transaction may thenbe conducted by a staff member using the cashier system of the store or by the user ofthemobile at a self-checkout terminal in the store. The scanner, or image acquisition device, usedfor scanning or reading the optically readable code to thereby validate or verify that the user of the mobile device /customer is authorized to take advantage of the purchase offer may then be communicatively connected to and/ or operatively coupled to the self-checkout terminal and the cashier system of the store.

According to certain embodiments, an event in the retail establishment representing a decisionby the consumer to proceed with purchasing the first product is identified, and the eventdata/information representing the event is transmitted from the mobile device to the backendsystem, e.g. a purchase server. In response to receiving event data/information representing thedecision by the customer, i.e. the user of the mobile device, to proceed with purchasing the firstproduct, the backend system may in real-time initiate the display/presentation of a subsequentoffer for sale including also a second product in a mobile application program running on themobile device to thereby display the subsequent offer for sale on the display of the mobiledevice in that the user ofthe mobile device is provided with an option to accept or reject thesubsequent offer for sale, e.g. by at least one of adding the subsequent offer for sale, or at leastone item of a second product included in the subsequent offer for sale, to the shopping basket ofthe mobile application program or by checking-out the subsequent offer for sale or an item ofthe second product, e.g. by pressing a check-out button associated with the subsequent offer for sale or second product.

The image identifying the product can be any one or more ofa number ofimages, such as a barcode, an image of the product, an image of all or a portion of product packaging, a product name,brand name, and a product number. The product information can be displayed on the mobile device as image, text, or both.

In aspects, the technology disclosed is directed to a system, a backend/control system, anapplication program installed on a mobile device, and methods for providing a purchase offer inreal-time to a user ofa mobile device in response to events identified by the application programrunning on the mobile device and which are performed by the user of the mobile device while the user is present in the store.

In aspects, the technology disclosed is directed to a system, a backend/control system, anapplication program installed on a mobile device, a store and methods for providing a purchaseoffer in real-time to a user ofa mobile device in response to events identified by the applicationprogram running on the mobile device and then display an optically readable/scannable code onthe screen of the mobile device in response to at least one further event identified by the application program, where the optically readable code, e.g. a QR-code, is adapted to be used for 61 validating or verifying that the user of the mobile device is authorized to take advantage of the purchase offer and may proceed to payment.

In embodiments, the method and cashier system of the technology disclosed further comprisesthe step of automatically conducting a payment transaction which includes the payment of theproduct items ofsaid purchase offer in response to scanning or reading, e.g. by a scanner orimage acquisition device operatively coupled to the cashier system of the store, the optically readable/scannable code displayed on the screen of the mobile device.

In embodiments, the optically readable code also includes payment credentials ofa customerassociated with the mobile device, e.g. the optically readable/scannable code displayed alsoincludes optically readable code representing. In certain embodiments, the payment credentialsof a customer associated with the mobile device, when scanned or read, is used for performingsaid step of automatically conducting a payment transaction including the payment of theproduct items ofsaid purchase offer in response to scanning or reading said optically readable code.

In aspects, the technology disclosed is directed to a system, a backend / control system, anapplication program installed on a mobile device, a store and methods for providing a purchaseoffer in real-time to a user ofa mobile device in response to the event of acquiring an image ofaphysical product in the store and then display an optically readable code on the screen ofthemobile device in response to further event(s) identified by the application program, where theoptically readable code, e.g. a QR-code, is adapted to be used for validating or verifying that theuser of the mobile device is authorized to take advantage ofthe purchase offer and thereforemay proceed to payment. In embodiments, the method and cashier system of the technologydisclosed may then further comprise the step of automatically conducting a payment transactionwhich includes the payment of the product items ofsaid purchase offer in response to scanningor reading, e.g. by a scanner or image acquisition device operatively coupled to the cashiersystem of the store, the optically readable code displayed on the screen ofthe mobile device. Inembodiments, the optically readable code may then also include payment credentials of acustomer associated with the mobile device. In certain embodiments, the payment credentials ofa customer associated with the mobile device, when scanned or read, is used for performing saidstep of automatically conducting a payment transaction including the payment of the product items ofsaid purchase offer in response to scanning or reading said optically readable code. 62 In embodiments, the technology disclosed relates to a system, a backend/control system, anapplication program installed on a mobile device and methods for providing a purchase offer,including a second product or second product category, to a user of a mobile device (customer)in response to obtaining event data representing an occurred event, or action performed by theuser of the mobile device, associated with a first product or first product category, where theevent/ action is identified by the application program running on the mobile device, and wherethe step of providing the purchase offer to the mobile device is preceded by the step ofobtaining, via image acquisition component of the mobile device, an image or scanned barcodeassociated with a physical product item belonging to a first product or first product categorydifferent from the second product or second product category. In different embodiments, theimage acquisition component may be any device component capable of capturing an image ofinformation identifying a product. Such information may include, for example, an image of a barcode (e.g., universal product code (UPC), a matrix barcode (QR code), three-dimensionalbarcode, or European Article Number (EAN)) on a label affixed to product, an image of product itself, an image of all or a portion ofthe packaging of product, or any other image that includes information identifying the product.

In embodiments, the purchase offer includes both a first product item, belonging to a firstproduct, which associated barcode is first scanned by the customer and the second product which is not scanned by the customer, or user of the mobile device.

In embodiments, the technology disclosed relates to method, a system and control system foridentifying an event, as well as transmitting and obtaining event data, representing a decision bythe consumer not to purchase a product. The event representing a decision by the consumer notto purchase the product can include, but is not limited to, the consumer entering or exiting theretail establishment, a determination of the consumer's location, the scanning ofa product-identifying image by the consumer, the time that such scanning occurs, the addition or removal ofan item to a shopping cart, and the time elapsed since the occurrence ofa previous event.

In some embodiments, one or more of a survey, an invitation to a sale, and an offer for asubsequent purchase may be received at the mobile device in response to transmitting the event information to the purchase server.

In further embodiments, an event in the retail establishment representing a decision by theconsumer to accept the purchase offer is identified, and event data/ information is transmitted from the mobile device to the control system. 63 In yet another aspect, the technology disclosed relates to a system for capturing event dataresulting from a consumer's behavior at a store or retail establishment. The system comprises amobile device having at least one processor configured to obtain an image identifying a productvia an image acquisition component and transmit the image to a control system, e.g. a purchaseserver of the control system. The processor may be further configured to receive productinformation for the product, including price and description information, identify an event in thestore representing a decision by the consumer not to purchase the product, and transmit theevent data/information to the purchase server. The processor may be further configured toreceive a purchase offer including the purchase of at least the identified product, including priceand description information, and identify an event representing a decision by the consumer to accept the purchase offer, and then transmit the event data/ information to the control system.

The image identifying the product can be any one or more ofa number ofimages, such as abarcode, an image of the product, an image of all or a portion ofproduct packaging, a productname, brand name, and a product number. The product information can be displayed on the mobile device as image, text, or both.

The event representing a decision by the consumer to accept the purchase offer can include, butis not limited to, the scanning ofa product-identifying image ofa second physical product itembelonging to a second product ofthe purchase offer by the consumer, the time that suchscanning occurs, the addition of a product item belonging to a second product ofthe purchaseoffer to a shopping cart, the pressing of a button, link, area or object in the application program,activating an input means of the mobile device, and the time elapsed since the occurrence ofaprevious event such as the time elapsed since the scanning ofa product-identifying image of the first physical product item belonging to a first product.

In some embodiments, the processor ofthe mobile device may be further configured to receive,in response to transmitting different types of event data/information, one or more of a survey, acoupon, an invitation to a sale, and an offer for a subsequent purchase not including a productitem belonging to the same first product or product category as the first physical product item which initially was identified by the product-identifying image.

In another aspect, a system for capturing event data resulting from a consumer's behavior at astore or retail establishment comprises a mobile device having at least one processor configured to obtain an image identifying a product via an image acquisition component, and transmit the 64 image to a control system such as a purchase server. The processor is further configured toreceive product information for the product, including price and description information, as wellas receive instructions to search for additional product information related to the product,compare the product information and the additional product information, and update theproduct information based on the comparison. In different embodiments, the image acquisitioncomponent may be any device component capable of capturing an image of informationidentifying a product. Such information may include, for example, an image of a bar code (e.g.,universal product code (UPC), a matrix barcode (QR code), three-dimensional barcode, orEuropean Article Number (EAN)) on a label affixed to product, an image ofproduct itself, animage of all or a portion of the packaging of product, or any other image that includes information identifying the product.

In another aspect, an article of manufacture having computer-readable program portionsembodied thereon for capturing event data resulting from a consumer's use ofa mobile device atthe store comprises computer-readable instructions for obtaining, via an image acquisitioncomponent operatively connected to a mobile device, an image comprising information thatidentifies a product being offered for sale by a retail establishment. The article further comprisescomputer-readable instructions for transmitting the image from the mobile device to a controlsystem, receiving at the mobile device, in response, product information comprising descriptionand price information for the product, displaying the product information on a display of themobile device, identifying an event in the application program running on the mobile devicerepresenting a decision by the consumer to purchase the product, and transmitting the eventinformation from the mobile device to the control system. In different embodiments, the imageacquisition component may be any device component capable of capturing an image ofinformation identifying a product. Such information may include, for example, an image ofabarcode (e.g., universal product code (UPC), a matrix barcode (QR code), three-dimensionalbarcode, or European Article Number (EAN)) on a label affixed to product, an image of product itself, an image of all or a portion ofthe packaging of product, or any other image that includes information identifying the product.

In yet another aspect, an article of manufacture having computer-readable program portionsembodied thereon for capturing event data resulting from a consumer's use ofa mobile device ata retail establishment comprises computer-readable instructions for obtaining, via an imageacquisition component operatively connected to a mobile device, an image comprisinginformation that identifies a product being offered for sale by a retail store. The article further comprises computer-readable instructions for transmitting the image from the mobile device to a purchase server, receiving at the mobile device, in response, a purchase offer comprisingdescription and price information for the product, receiving at the mobile device instructions torequest for verification that the customer is authorized to take advantage of the purchase offeron a display of the mobile device, and requesting an optically readable code by selecting a buttonor menu option, e.g. pressing a button, link or area in the application program running on the mobile device or by activating input means of the mobile device.

In certain aspects, the technology disclosed relates to a system, method and mobile device forpresenting a combined offer including a first product and a second product different from thefirst product, where a barcode associated with a physical product item of the first product wasscanned by the user ofa mobile device in the retail store and where the second product is addedto the electronic basket of the mobile application program running on the mobile device withoutany need for the user to first scan a barcode associated with a physical product item of thesecond product. According to embodiments, first event information is transmitted from themobile device following the event of scanning the barcode associated with a physical productitem of a first product and, in response to receiving the first event data/ information from themobile device, a backend system of the system transmits a purchase offer including the purchase of at least one item of the first product and at least one item of the second product.

In certain aspects, the technology disclosed relates to a system, a backend system, a method anda mobile device for presenting, on the screen ofthe mobile device, an optically readable coderepresenting the acceptance by the user ofthe mobile device of a combined offer including a firstproduct and a second product different from the first product, where a separate barcodeassociated with a physical product item ofthe first product was first scanned by the user of themobile device in the retail store, and where both the first product and the second product isadded to the electronic basket ofthe mobile application program running on the mobile devicewithout any need for the user to scan a barcode associated with a physical product item ofthesecond product prior to adding the second product to the electronic basket and accepting the combined offer.

In certain aspects, the technology disclosed relates to a system, a backend system, a method anda mobile device for presenting/displaying, on the screen of the mobile device, an opticallyreadable code, where the presented/ displayed optically readable code is adapted to indicate to astaff member scanning the optically readable code with a scanner in the store that the user ofthe mobile device has accepted a combined offer provided by the backend system and which includes the purchase of both a first product and a second product different from the first 66 product. The generation and display of the optically readable code is preceded by thetransmission of first event information from the mobile device to indicate to the backend systemthe occurrence of a first event of scanning a separate barcode associated with a physical productitem ofthe first product and is further triggered by the receipt of second event information bythe backend system which is transmitted by the mobile device in response to a second event ofadding the second product to the electronic basket and/or the action of checking-out of thecombined offer in the mobile application program running on the mobile device, e.g. by selectinga button or menu option such as pressing at least one check-out button. According to certainembodiments of the technology disclosed, there is no need for the user to scan a barcodeassociated with a physical product item ofthe second product to accept the combined offer, e.g.there is no need to scan a barcode associated with the second product prior to adding the secondproduct or the combined offer to the electronic basket and/or prior to confirming the combinedoffer by checking-out ofthe second product and/or combined offer in the mobile applicationprogram. The event of checking-out ofthe second product and/or checking-out the combinedoffer may be performed by pressing at least one check-out button in the mobile application program running on the mobile device.

In certain embodiments, the technology disclosed relates to a backend system configured totransmit data defining and representing an offer for sale, where said transmission ofsaid offerfor sale is preceded by said backend system receiving a barcode or first event data representingthe event of scanning, by a mobile device, a barcode associated with a first product or productcategory. The offer for sale may then include a first product or product category and, in addition,a second product or product category for which no barcode associated with it typically wasscanned by the mobile device prior to creating/constructing said offer for sale by the backend system.

Data or information defining and representing said offer for sale which preferably is onlyavailable for said mobile device, is transmitted, from said backend system to said mobile devicewhich scanned the barcode associated with said first product or product category. The data orinformation defining and representing the offer for sale is transmitted, e.g. automaticallytransmitted, in response to the backend system receiving second event data from the mobiledevice, where the second event data is indicating at least one of the occurred event of addingsaid offer for sale or said second product or product category to the electronic shopping basketofa mobile application program running on said mobile device, the event ofadding the secondproduct or product category to the electronic shopping basket, and the event of activating a check-out functionality, e.g. by pressing a check-out button, in the mobile application program 67 running on the mobile device. The check-out functionality may be used as indicator that the userof the mobile device wants to proceed to payment in accordance with the offer for sale and/orproceed to payment of at least one item of the first product or product category and at least oneitem ofthe second product or product category. In embodiments, the above-mentioned offer forsale was created/ constructed, e.g. dynamically created/ constructed, by the backend systembased on at least one ofobtained first, second and third event data associated with the first andsecond product and which were previously received by the backend system from other mobiledevices / customer and obtained first, second and third event data previously received from themobile device. The third event data is event data transmitted from a mobile device and receivedby the backend system following a confirmed payment transaction of a product or product category.

In certain embodiments, the technology disclosed relates to a backend system configured to,following the scanning of a barcode associated with an item of a first product or productcategory and in response to a first event identified by a mobile device, transmit data orinformation to a mobile device, where the data or information is defining and/or representingan offer to purchase at least one item ofthe first product or product category and at least oneitem of a second product or product category different from the first product, where theidentified first event includes at least one of adding items of the first product or productcategory to the shopping basket in the mobile application program running on the mobile deviceand conducting check-out of at least one item of the first product or product category for p Gym G nt.

In certain embodiments, the technology disclosed relates to a mobile device comprising a mobileapplication program and processor configured to, following the scanning ofa barcode associatedwith an item of a first product or product category and in response to an event identified by themobile device, generate and present an optically readable code, where the optically readablecode is indicating to reader that the user of the mobile device is authorized to take advantage ofan offer to purchase at least one item of the first product and at least one item ofa secondproduct different from the first product, and where the event is at least one of the events ofscanning a barcode associated with an item of a second product, adding items according to theoffer to purchase to the shopping basket in the mobile application program, adding at least oneitem of the second product to the shopping basket in the mobile application program andchecking-out at least one item of the second product and/or items according to the offer to purchase at least one item of the first product and at least one item of the second product. 68 In another aspects, event data resulting from a consumer's behavior at a retail establishment iscaptured using a mobile device and a backend system such as a control system comprising aclient database and a purchase server. An image identifying a product being offered for sale by aretail establishment is obtained via an image acquisition component operatively connected tothe mobile device. The image is transmitted from the mobile device to the purchase server, and product information including price and description information is received in response.

The present invention generally relates to systems, methods and computer program productsfor providing in-store product information and offers. An exemplary control system, or backendsystem, is configured to receive event data from a consumer's mobile device that indicates theconsumer's interest in purchasing products available at a store and provide product information and / or purchase offers based on obtained event data.

In embodiments and in response to an event identified by an application program running onthe customer's mobile device, an optically readable code is displayed on the customer's mobiledevice, where the optically readable code is adapted to be used for validating or verifying that the customer is authorized to take advantage of the purchase offer.

In other embodiments, the optically readable code is displayed following the acquisition of animage identifying a first product and in response to event data representing the event ofacquiring the image and/or a subsequent event of adding an item of the first product to theelectronic shopping basket or activating an input means in the mobile application programrunning on the mobile device. In response to receiving the acquired image, the consumer isprovided with a purchase offer from the control system, where the purchase offer includes at least a second product different from the first product associated with the acquired image.

In aspects, the technology disclosed relates to systems, methods and computer programproducts for providing in-store product information and offers. An exemplary system isconfigured to receive event data from a consumer's mobile device that indicates the consumer'sinterest in purchasing a product available at a store and provide product information and purchase offers based on obtained event data.

In certain aspects, the technology disclosed relates to systems, methods and computer programproducts for generating and/or displaying an optically readable code for validating or verifyingthat the user of a mobile device is authorized to take advantage of a purchase offer provided tothe customer's mobile device by a backend system. An exemplary system is configured to receive event data from a consumer's mobile device that indicates the consumer's acceptance of the 69 purchase offer including a product available at the store and, in response to receiving the event data, generating and/or displaying an optically readable code on the screen ofthe mobile device.

In certain aspects, the technology disclosed relates to systems, methods and computer programproducts for generating and/or displaying an optically readable code for validating or verifyingthat the user of a mobile device is authorized to take advantage of a purchase offer provided tothe customer's mobile device by a backend system. An exemplary system is configured to receiveevent data from a consumer's mobile device that indicates the consumer's acceptance of thepurchase offer including a first and a second product available at the store, in response toreceiving the event data, generating and / or displaying an optically readable code on the screenof the mobile device, where the generating and/or displaying an optically readable code is preceded by the scanning/reading of a barcode associated with the first product.

In embodiments, the acquisition ofan image identifying a first product and in response to eventdata representing the event of acquiring the image and/or a subsequent event of adding an itemof the first product to the shopping basket in the mobile application program running on themobile device, the consumer is sent product information and/or a purchase offer from abackend system, where the purchase offers includes a second product different from the first product associated with the acquired image.

The user of the mobile device may then accept the offer by adding the products of the providedoffer or an item of the second product to the shopping basket and/or by checking-out theproducts ofthe provided purchase offer or an item ofthe second product for payment. Inembodiments, selecting an offer is equated to accepting one or more terms and conditionsassociated with the offer by adding the products ofthe provided offer or an item of the secondproduct to the shopping basket and/or by checking-out the products of the provided purchase offer or an item of the second product for payment.

In embodiments, the acquisition ofan image identifying a first product and in response to eventdata representing the event of acquiring the image and/or a subsequent event of adding an itemof the first product to the shopping basket in the mobile application program running on themobile device, the consumer is sent product information and/or a purchase offer from abackend system, where the purchase offers includes a second product different from the firstproduct associated with the acquired image. The user of the mobile device may then accept theoffer by adding the products ofthe provided offer or an item of the second product to theshopping basket and/or by checking-out the products of the provided purchase offer or an item of the second product for payment. In embodiments, selecting an offer is equated to accepting one or more terms and conditions associated with the offer by adding the products of theprovided offer or an item ofthe second product to the shopping basket and/or by checking-out the products of the provided purchase offer or an item of the second product for payment.

Mobile device 105 and the control system 130 may be implemented in any suitable way. FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary architecture for a mobile device 105 and a control system 130 thatmay be used in some embodiments. The mobile device 105 may include hardware centralprocessing unit(s) (CPU), operatively connected to hardware / physical memory andinput/output (UO) interface. Exemplary server of the control system similarly compriseshardware CPU(s), operatively connected to hardware / physical memory and input/ output (UO)interface. Hardware/physical memory may include volatile and/or non-volatile memory. Thememory may store one or more instructions to program the CPU to perform any of the functions described herein. The memory may also store one or more application programs.

Exemplary mobile device 105 and exemplary control system 130 may have one or more inputand output devices. These devices can be used, among other things, to present a user interfaceand/or communicate (e.g., via a network) with other devices or computers. Examples ofoutputdevices that can be used to provide a user interface include printers or display screens for visualpresentation of output and speakers or other sound generating devices for audible presentationof output. Examples of input devices that can be used for a user interface include keyboards, andpointing devices, such as mice, touch pads, and digitizing tablets. As another example, a computer may receive input information through speech recognition or in other audible format.

Although examples provided herein may have described the servers as residing on separatecomputers, it should be appreciated that the functionality of these components can beimplemented on a single computer, or on any larger number ofcomputers in a distributed fashion.

Having thus described several aspects of at least one embodiment of this invention, it is to beappreciated that various alterations, modifications, and improvements will readily occur to those skilled in the art.

Such alterations, modifications, and improvements are intended to be part ofthis disclosure, andare intended to be within the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the foregoingdescription and drawings are by way of example only. The above-described embodiments of thepresent invention can be implemented in any of numerous ways. For example, the embodiments may be implemented using hardware, software or a combination thereof. When implemented in 71 software, the software code can be executed on any suitable processor or collection ofprocessors, whether provided in a single computer or distributed among multiple computers.Further, it should be appreciated that a computer may be embodied in any of a number of forms,such as a rack-mounted computer, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, or a tablet computer.Additionally, a computer may be embedded in a device not generally regarded as a computer butwith suitable processing capabilities, including a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a smart phone or any other suitable portable or fixed electronic device.

Such computers may be interconnected by one or more networks in any suitable form, includingas a local area network or a wide area network, such as an enterprise network or the Internet.Such networks may be based on any suitable technology and may operate according to any suitable protocol and may include wireless networks, wired networks or fiber optic networks.

Also, the various methods or processes outlined herein may be coded as software that isexecutable on one or more processors that employ any one of a variety of operating systems orplatforms. Additionally, such software may be written using any of a number of suitableprogramming languages and/or programming or scripting tools, and also may be compiled asexecutable machine language code or intermediate code that is executed on a framework or virtual machine.

In this respect, the invention may be embodied as a computer readable medium (or multiplecomputer readable media) (e.g., a computer memory, one or more ﬂoppy discs, compact discs,optical discs, magnetic tapes, flash memories, circuit configurations in Field Programmable GateArrays or other semiconductor devices, or other tangible computer storage medium) encodedwith one or more programs that, when executed on one or more computers or other processors,perform methods that implement the various embodiments ofthe invention discussed above.The computer readable medium or media can be transportable, such that the program orprograms stored thereon can be loaded onto one or more different computers or otherprocessors to implement various aspects of the present invention as discussed above. The terms"program" or "software" are used herein in a generic sense to refer to any type ofcomputer codeor set of computer-executable instructions that can be employed to program a computer orother processor to implement various aspects ofthe present invention as discussed above.Additionally, it should be appreciated that according to one aspect of this embodiment, one ormore computer programs that when executed perform methods of the present invention neednot reside on a single computer or processor, but may be distributed in a modular fashionamongst a number of different computers or processors to implement various aspects of the present invention. 72 Computer-executable instructions may be in many forms, such as program modules, executed byone or more computers or other devices. Generally, program modules include routines,programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implementparticular abstract data types. Typically, the functionality of the program modules may be combined or distributed as desired in various embodiments.

Also, data structures may be stored in computer-readable media in any suitable form. Forsimplicity of illustration, data structures may be shown to have fields that are related throughlocation in the data structure. Such relationships may likewise be achieved by assigning storagefor the fields with locations in a computer-readable medium that conveys relationship betweenthe fields. However, any suitable mechanism may be used to establish a relationship betweeninformation in fields ofa data structure, including through the use ofpointers, tags or other mechanisms that establish a relationship between data elements.

Various aspects of the present invention may be used alone, in combination, or in a variety ofarrangements not specifically discussed in the embodiments described in the foregoing and istherefore not limited in its application to the details and arrangement ofcomponents set forth inthe foregoing description or illustrated in the drawings. For example, aspects described in one embodiment may be combined in any manner with aspects described in other embodiments.

Also, the invention may be embodied as a method, ofwhich an example has been provided. Theacts performed as part of the method may be ordered in any suitable way. Accordingly,embodiments may be constructed in which acts are performed in an order different thanillustrated, which may include performing some acts simultaneously, even though shown as sequential acts in illustrative embodiments.

Variations, modifications, and other implementations of what is described herein will occur tothose of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as claimed.

In certain aspects, the technology disclosed relates to a method and system for capturing eventdata resulting from a consumer's behavior at a retail establishment, the system comprising amobile device having at least one processor configured to: obtain, via an image acquisition component of the mobile device an imagecomprising information that identifies a first product being offered for sale by a retail establishment; transmit the image to a backend system; 73 receive, in response, product information comprising description and/or price information for the first product; identify, by the mobile device, a first event in the retail establishment representinga decision by the consumer to add the first product to the shopping basket ofthe mobile application program running on the mobile device; andtransmit the first event information to the backend system; and receive, by the mobile device and from the backend system, an offer for sale including the first product and at least a second product different from the first product.

In certain aspects, the technology disclosed relates to a method and system for capturing eventdata resulting from a consumer's behavior at a retail establishment, the system comprising a mobile device having at least one processor configured to: obtain, via an image acquisition component of the mobile device an imagecomprising information that identifies a first product being offered for sale by a retail establishment;transmit the image to a backend system; receive, in response, product information comprising description and price information for the first product; identify, by the mobile device, an occurred event representing a decision by theconsumer to add the first product to the shopping basket in the mobile application program running on the mobile device; and transmit first event information to the backend system, where the eventinformation is indicating the occurred event of adding the first product to the shopping basket in the mobile application program running on the mobile device; receive, by the mobile device and from the backend system, an offer for sale including the first product and at least a second product different from the first product; identify, by the mobile device, at least one of the events of obtaining an imageassociated with a product item of the second product present in the retail store, adding an itemofthe second product to the shopping basket in the mobile application program running on themobile device and adding items according to the offer for sale to the shopping basket in the mobile application program. 74 In certain aspects, the technology disclosed relates to a method and system for capturing eventdata resulting from a consumer's behavior at a retail establishment, the system comprising a mobile device having at least one processor configured to: obtain, via an image acquisition component of the mobile device an imagecomprising information that identifies a first product being offered for sale by a retail establishment;transmit the image to a backend system; receive, in response, product information comprising description and price information for the first product; identify, by the mobile device, an occurred event representing a decision by theconsumer to add the first product to the shopping basket in the mobile application program running on the mobile device; and transmit first event information from the mobile device to the backend system,where the first event information is indicating the occurred event of adding the first product to the shopping basket in the mobile application program running on the mobile device; receive, by the mobile device and from the backend system, an offer for sale including the first product and at least a second product different from the first product; identify, by the mobile device, at least one of the events of obtaining an imageassociated with a product item of the second product present in the retail store, adding an itemofthe second product to the shopping basket in the mobile application program running on themobile device and adding items according to the offer for sale to the shopping basket in the mobile application program; and transmit second event information from the mobile device to the backend system,where the second event information is indicating at least one of the events ofobtaining an imageassociated with a product item of the second product present in the retail store, adding an itemof the second product to the shopping basket in the mobile application program running on themobile device and adding items according to the offer for sale to the shopping basket in the mobile application program.

In certain aspects, the technology disclosed relates to a method and system for capturing eventdata resulting from a consumer's behavior at a retail establishment, the system comprising a mobile device having at least one processor configured to: obtain, via an image acquisition component of the mobile device an imagecomprising information that identifies a first product being offered for sale by a retail establishment;transmit the image to a backend system; receive, in response, product information comprising description and price information for the first product; identify, by the mobile device, an occurred event representing a decision by theconsumer to add the first product to the shopping basket in the mobile application program running on the mobile device; and transmit first event information from the mobile device to the backend system,where the first event information is indicating the occurred event of adding the first product to the shopping basket in the mobile application program running on the mobile device; receive, by the mobile device and from the backend system, an offer for sale including the first product and at least a second product different from the first product; identify, by the mobile device, a second event including at least one of the events ofobtaining an image associated with a product item of the second product present in the retailstore, adding an item of the second product to the shopping basket in the mobile applicationprogram running on the mobile device and adding items according to the offer for sale to the shopping basket in the mobile application program; and displaying, in response to identifying said second event, an optically readable codeon the screen of the mobile device, where the optically readable code is indicating to reader that the user of the mobile device is authorized to take advantage of the offer for sale.

In embodiments, the at least one processor is further configured to determine the consumer hasdecided to accept the offer and allow the consumer to authorize purchase ofthe product via the mobile device.

In embodiments, the offer for sale has an offer limit based on one or more ofan elapsed time since an offer and a maximum number ofoffers.

In certain aspects, the technology disclosed relates to a method and system for capturing eventdata resulting from a consumer's behavior at a retail establishment, the system comprising a mobile device having at least one processor configured to: 76 obtain, via an image acquisition component of the mobile device an imagecomprising information that identifies a first product being offered for sale by a retail establishment;transmit the image to a backend system; receive, in response, product information comprising description and price information for the first product; identify, by the mobile device, an occurred event representing a decision by theconsumer to add the first product to the shopping basket in the mobile application program running on the mobile device; and transmit first event information from the mobile device to the backend system,where the first event information is indicating the occurred event of adding the first product to the shopping basket in the mobile application program running on the mobile device; receive, by the mobile device and from the backend system, an offer for sale including the first product and at least a second product different from the first product; identify, by the mobile device, a second event including at least one of the events ofobtaining an image associated with a product item of the second product present in the retailstore, adding an item of the second product to the shopping basket in the mobile applicationprogram running on the mobile device and adding items according to the offer for sale to the shopping basket in the mobile application program; and displaying, in response to identifying said second event, an optically readable code on the screen of the mobile device; and scanning, by a scanner device of the retail store, the optically readable codedisplayed on the screen of the mobile device, where the optically readable code, when scanned,is indicating to the cashier system of the retail store that the user ofthe mobile device is authorized to take advantage of the offer for sale.

In certain aspects, the technology disclosed relates to a method and system for capturing eventdata resulting from a consumer's behavior at a retail establishment, the system comprising a mobile device having at least one processor configured to: obtain, via an image acquisition component of the mobile device an imagecomprising information that identifies a first product being offered for sale by a retail establishment; 77 transmit the image to a backend system; receive, in response, product information comprising description and price information for the first product; identify, by the mobile device, an occurred event representing a decision by theconsumer to add the first product to the shopping basket in the mobile application program running on the mobile device; and transmit the event information to the backend system, where the eventinformation is indicating the occurred event of adding the first product to the shopping basket in the mobile application program running on the mobile device; receive, by the mobile device and from the backend system, an offer for sale including the first product and at least a second product different from the first product; indicating, by the user of the mobile device, the acceptance of the offer for sale, where the acceptance of the offer for sale by the user of the mobile device is determined by themobile device identifying at least one of the events of obtaining an image associated with aproduct item of the second product present in the retail store, adding an item ofthe secondproduct to the shopping basket in the mobile application program running on the mobile deviceand adding items according to the offer for sale to the shopping basket in the mobile application In certain aspects, the technology disclosed relates to a method and system for capturing eventdata resulting from a consumer's behavior at a retail establishment, the system comprising a mobile device having at least one processor configured to: obtain, via an image acquisition component of the mobile device an imagecomprising information that identifies a first product being offered for sale by a retailestablishment, wherein the image comprises one or more ofa bar code, an image of the product,an image of all or a portion of packaging of the product, a product name, a brand name, a serial number, and a product number.;transmit the image to a backend system; receive, in response, product information comprising description and price information for the first product; 78 identify, by the mobile device, a first event in the retail establishment representinga decision by the consumer to add the first product to the shopping basket ofthe mobile application program running on the mobile device; andtransmit the first event information to the backend system; and receive, by the mobile device and from the backend system, an offer for sale including the first product and at least a second product different from the first product.

In certain embodiments, the at least second product may be added to the shopping basket in themobile application program by scanning, in the retail store using the mobile device, a barcode associated with a second product item present in the retail store.

According to certain aspects, the technology disclosed relates to a method ofobtaining differentkinds of event data resulting from different kinds of events performed by a user of a mobile device at a retail store, the method comprising: scanning, by a scanner operatively connected to a mobile device, a barcodeassociated with a first product item being offered for sale by the retail store, wherein said first product item belongs to a first product category; generating, by a mobile application program running on the first mobile deviceand in response to said scanning, first event data representing said event ofscanning said barcode associated with the first product item; transmitting said generated first event data from the mobile device to a remotelylocated control system which is at least one of operatively connected and communicatively coupled to a database; receiving at the mobile device, in response, data representing product information comprising description and price information for said first product item; displaying the product information in the application program running on the mobile device; adding the first product item to the electronic shopping cart of said mobile application program running on the mobile device; generating, by said mobile application program and in response to said event ofadding said first product item to the electronic shopping cart, second event data different fromsaid first event data, said second event data representing said event ofadding said first product item to said electronic shopping cart; 79 transmitting said second event data from the mobile device to the remotely located control system;receiving said second event data at the remotely located control system; transmitting, from said remotely located control system and in response toreceiving said second event data, control data for controlling the display of product informationcomprising description and a discounted price for product items belonging to a second product category different from said first product category; displaying, in the application program running on the mobile device and in response to receiving said control data from the remotely located control system, productinformation comprising description and a discounted price for product items belonging to asecond product category different from said first product category, wherein said control data isat least partly based on stored data related to said first and second product category and whichis gathered, analyzed and compiled from first and second event data previously received from a plurality of other mobile devices.

In aspects, the technology disclosed relate to a mobile device and method for displaying anoptically readable code in the mobile application running on the mobile device in response tothe identifying by the mobile device of the occurrence of at least one second event at least one ofthe events of adding a second product to the electronic shopping basket of the mobileapplication program, adding an offer for sale including a first and second product to theelectronic shopping basket and conducting a check-out of for payment of items of both the first and the second product.

In aspects, the technology disclosed relates to a mobile device and method of generating, by theapplication program running on the mobile device, an optically readable code, wherein theoptically readable code is adapted to be scanned by the barcode reader at the retail store; anddisplaying, on the screen ofthe mobile device, the generated optically readable code, whereinthe scanning of the optically readable code is an indication to the staff at the retail store that theuser of the mobile device is authorized to take advantage ofan offer for sale, where the offer forsale may comprise a discounted price for a second product or product category following thereading of said unique optically readable code by the barcode reader of a cashier's machine in the retail store.

In aspects, the technology disclosed relates to a system and a method including the step ofgenerating and/or presenting, by the mobile device and in response to the mobile device identifying the occurrence ofthe second event, an optically readable code in the mobile 80 application program running on the mobile device to thereby display the optically readable codeon the screen of the mobile device, where the optically readable code, e.g. a QR code, is adaptedto be scanned by a scanner in the retail store the user ofthe mobile device is currently present inand the second event is an indication of the occurrence of at least one of the events of adding asecond product to the electronic shopping basket ofthe mobile application program, adding anoffer for sale including a first and second product to the electronic shopping basket and conducting a check-out of for payment of items of both the first and the second product.

In aspects, the technology disclosed relates to a method including the step of transmitting, fromthe remotely located control system and in response to receiving said second event data, acontrol signal adapted for controlling the display of a unique optically readable code on the mobile device. 81

Claims

1. A method for providing a user ofa mobile device with a purchase offer including at least one product available to customers in a store and while the user is present in the store, said method comprising: a. acquiring or scanning, by an image acquisition component or scanner operativelyconnected to the mobile device, an image or barcode associated with a physicalproduct item being offered for sale by the store, wherein said physical productitem belongs to a first product or first product category; transmitting, by said mobile device, said image or barcode, or data representingsaid image or barcode, to a control system which is comprising, or is at least oneof operatively coupled to and communicatively connected to, a database;transmitting, from the control system to the mobile device, data representing apurchase offer; displaying, in a browser or an application program running on the mobile deviceand on the screen ofsaid mobile device, data representing said purchase offer,wherein said step of displaying is performed in response to said mobile devicereceiving said data representing said purchase offer; and identifying, by the application program running on the mobile device, at least oneevent indicating the acceptance, by the user of the mobile device, of said purchase offer.

2. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising the step of: displaying, by the application program running on said mobile device, anoptically readable code representing said purchase offer or reﬂecting the itemscurrently in the shopping basket which includes the product items of said purchase offer.

3. The method ofclaim 2, wherein said optically readable code, when scanned or read by a scanner or image acquisition or recognition device in the store, is adapted to validate or verify to staff members in the store or to the cashier system and/or a computer system, unit or device ofthe store that the user ofthe mobile device is authorized to take advantage of said purchase offer.

4. The method of any of the preceding claims, further comprising the step of: generating, by the application program running on said mobile device, anoptically readable code representing said purchase offer or reﬂecting the items currently in the shopping basket which includes the product items of said purchase offer.

5. The method of any of the preceding claims, further comprising the steps of: a. transmitting, from said mobile device to said control system, event datarepresenting said at least one event indicating the acceptance ofsaid purchaseoffer; receiving, by the control system, said event data representing said at least oneevent indicating the acceptance ofsaid purchase offer; and transmitting, from the control system to the mobile device, data adapted to beused for generating and/or displaying an optically readable code representingsaid purchase offer or an optically readable code reﬂecting the items currently inthe shopping basket which includes the product items ofsaid purchase offer,wherein said transmission ofsaid data is performed in response to and triggered by said control system receiving said event data indicating the acceptance of said purchase offer.

6. The method according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising: acquiring or recognizing, by an image acquisition or recognition deviceoperatively coupled to or communicatively connected to at least one of thecontrol system and the cashier system of the store, said optically readable code,thereby validating or verifying that the user of the mobile device is authorized to take advantage of said purchase offer and may proceed to payment.

7. The method according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising: scanning, by a scanner operatively coupled to at least one of the control systemand the cashier system of the store, said optically readable code, therebyvalidating or verifying that the user of the mobile device is authorized to take advantage of said purchase offer and may proceed to payment.

8. The method according to any of claims 6 and 7, further comprising: conducting a payment transaction including the purchase of product item of saidpurchase offer, wherein said payment transaction is conducted following or in response to said scanning of, or acquiring ofan image of, said optically readable code, is validating or verifying that the user ofthe mobile device is authorized to take advantage of said purchase offer.

9. The method according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising the following steps prior to transmitting said data representing said purchase offer: a.transmitting, from said control system to said mobile device, product and/ orprice information for said first product or first product category, wherein saidproduct and/or price information for said first product is transmitted inresponse to receiving said image or barcode or data representing said image orbarcode; displaying said product and/or price information for said first product or firstproduct category in the application; identifying, by the application program running on the mobile device, an eventassociated with said first product or first product category, wherein said eventcomprises identifying at least one of the events of adding at least one item of thefirst product or first product category to the shopping basket ofthe applicationprogram and checking out at least one item of the first product or first productcategory for payment; and transmitting, from the mobile device and in response to identifying said eventassociated with said first product or first product category, event datarepresenting said event associated with said first product or first productcategory, wherein said step oftransmitting data representing a purchase offer isperformed in response to said control system receiving said event associated with said first product or first product category.

10. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said step ofidentifying said at least one event indicating the acceptance ofsaid purchase offer comprises identifying, by the application program, at least one of the events of: adding, to the shopping basket of the application program running on the mobiledevice, at least one item of a second product or second product category differentfrom said first product or first product category; adding, to the shopping basket of the application program running on the mobiledevice, product items in accordance with said purchase offer; checking out, in the application program, at least one item ofsaid second product or second product category for payment; checking out, in the application program, product items in accordance with saidpurchase offer; pressing a button, link, area or object in the application program to therebyrequest verification ofthe authorized use ofsaid purchase offer; and activating an input means of the mobile device to thereby request verification of the authorized use ofsaid purchase offer.

11. The method according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising the following step prior to transmitting said data representing said purchase offer: obtaining event data representing identified events associated with at least oneof said first and said second product or product category, wherein said events areidentified by other mobile devices than said mobile device and the event datatransmitted in response to the occurrence of the events is received from othermobile devices than said mobile device, and wherein said events include at leastone of the events of acquiring an image ofa physical product item, scanning abarcode associated with a physical product item, the addition of an item to ashopping basket of the application program, checking out (in the application program) an item for payment and the confirmed purchase of a product item.

12. The method according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising the following step prior to transmitting said data representing said purchase offer: obtaining event data representing identified events, wherein said events areidentified by and received from said same mobile device and indicates a certainshopping behavior of the user of the mobile device, and wherein said eventsinclude at least one ofthe events of acquiring an image ofa physical productitem, scanning a barcode associated with a physical product item, the addition ofan item to a shopping basket of the application program, checking out (in the application program) an item for payment and the purchase ofa product item.

13. The method according to any of claims 11 and 12, further comprising: constructing said purchase offer at least partly based on said obtained event data.

14. A control system for providing a user ofa mobile device with purchase offers including products available to customers in a store and while the user is present in the store, said control system is comprising or is at least one of operatively connected and communicatively coupled to a database and is configured to: a. receive an image or barcode, or data representing an image or barcodeassociated with a physical first product item being offered for sale by the store,from a mobile device; b. determine that said received image or barcode data belongs to a first product orfirst product category; c. identify a purchase offer associated with the first product or first productcategory; d. transmit, to said mobile device and in response to receiving said image orbarcode data, data representing said purchase offer; e. receive, from said mobile device, event data indicating that the user of the mobiledevice has accepted the purchase offer; and f transmit, from the control system to said mobile device, an optically readablecode representing said purchase offer or data adapted to be used for generatingan optically readable code representing said purchase offer, wherein saidoptically readable code is adapted to validate or verify, when scanned or read,that the user of the mobile device is authorized to take advantage of saidpurchase offer and proceed to payment in accordance with the price and conditions ofsaid purchase offer.

15. The control system of claim 14, wherein said control system is further configured toperform said step oftransmitting an optically readable code representing said purchaseoffer, or data adapted to be used for generating an optically readable code representingsaid purchase offer, in response to receiving event data indicating that the user of the mobile device has accepted the purchase offer

16. The control system of claim 14, wherein said control system is further configured toperform said step oftransmitting an optically readable code representing said purchaseoffer, or data adapted to be used for generating an optically readable code representing said purchase offer, in response to receiving said image or barcode data

17. The control system ofany of claims 14 to 16, wherein said control system is further configured to perform said step oftransmitting data representing a purchase offer to the mobile device in response to receiving event data indicating that the user of the mobile device has accepted the purchase offer.

18. The control system of claim 17, wherein the event data is representing at least one ofthe events ofthe user ofthe mobile device ofadding at least one item ofthe first product or first product category to the shopping basket ofthe application program and checking out at least one item ofthe first product or first product category for payment.

19. The control system ofany of claims 14 to 18, wherein said control system is further configured to perform the following step prior to transmitting said data representing said purchase offer: transmitting, from said control system to said mobile device, product and/ orprice information for said first product or first product category, wherein saidproduct and/or price information for said first product is transmitted inresponse to receiving said image or barcode or data representing said image or barcode.

20. The control system ofany of claims 14 to 19, wherein said control system is further configured to perform the following step prior to transmitting said data representing said purchase offer: obtaining event data representing identified events, wherein said events areidentified by and received from said same mobile device and indicates a certainshopping behavior of the user of the mobile device, and wherein said eventsinclude at least one ofthe events of acquiring an image ofa physical productitem, scanning a barcode associated with a physical product item, the addition ofan item to a shopping basket of the application program, checking out (in the application program) an item for payment and the purchase ofa product item.

21. The control system ofany of claims 14 to 20, wherein said control system is further configured to perform the following step prior to transmitting said data representing said purchase offer: obtaining event data representing identified events, wherein said events areidentified by and received from said same mobile device and indicates thehistorical shopping behavior ofthe user ofthe mobile device, and wherein saidevents include at least one of the events of acquiring an image or scanning a barcode associated with a physical product item, the addition of an item to a shopping basket of the application program, checking out an item for payment and a confirmed payment transaction for the purchase ofa product item.

22. The control system ofany of claims 20 and 21, wherein said control system is furtherconfigured to perform the following step prior to transmitting said data representingsaid purchase offer: a. constructing said purchase offer at least partly based on said obtained event data.

23. An application program installed on a mobile device, said application program isconfigured to: a. receive data representing a purchase offer; b. display, in the application and on the screen of the mobile device, datarepresenting said purchase offer; c. identify the at least one event indicating the acceptance, by the user ofthe mobiledevice, ofsaid purchase offer; and d. display an optically readable code adapted for validating or verifying that the user of the mobile device is authorized to take advantage ofsaid purchase offer.

24. The application program ofclaim 23, further configured to:a. receive, from a control system, data adapted for at least one of generating anddisplaying said optically readable code; andb. display, in the application and on the screen of the mobile device, said opticallyreadable code;

25. The application program ofany of claims 23 and 24, wherein said application program isconfigured to identify the at least one event indicating the acceptance of the purchaseoffer by the user by identifying at least one ofthe events of: a. adding, to the shopping basket of the application program running on the mobiledevice, at least one item of a second product or second product category differentfrom said first product or first product category; b. adding, to the shopping basket of the application program running on the mobiledevice, product items in accordance with said purchase offer; c. checking out, in the application program, at least one item ofsaid second product or second product category for payment; checking out, in the application program, product items in accordance with saidpurchase offer; pressing a button, link, area or object in the application program to therebyrequest verification ofthe authorized use ofsaid purchase offer; and activating an input means of the mobile device to thereby request verification of the authorized use ofsaid purchase offer.